


The Life of a Lower Class Uchiha: A Dark World

by Itachi-Uchiha-lover (TheAssassinLover)



Series: The Life of a Lower Class Uchiha Original [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Tragedy, and i know that now, but i was 13, friendships, old, post from ffn, this is not good, this was once my baby
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-16
Updated: 2019-09-17
Packaged: 2020-10-20 06:47:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 24
Words: 35,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20671055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAssassinLover/pseuds/Itachi-Uchiha-lover
Summary: Most love stories have happy endings. Mine does not. My name is Katerina Uchiha and this is the story of my life from my brother's disappearance to my parent's deaths. And the boy that I fell in love with killed any other friends I may have had. And I helped.





	1. The Start of My Life

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this way back in 2010 on fanfiction.net. I was 13. It spawned my love of fanfiction, and many more stories followed it. Now it's here because I no longer trust that site to keep my work safe. If you do read this, I hope you look past the cringe and enjoy.

My name is Katerina Uchiha. Every story has some love hinted in it. They usually have a happy ending. Well, this is my story and let me tell you it has no happy ending to it. But let's start from the beginning.

It all started with my birth obviously. I was born into the lowest class Uchiha family in the entire clan. For this, I was often shunned by everyone else. When I entered the academy at age five because of my abilities everyone was surprised, but nothing changed.

I wasn't the only one from the Uchiha clan to enter at this age. Itachi Uchiha entered the same time I did. We didn't talk much if at all. The older Uchihas always picked on me, saying I was weak and a disgrace to the Uchiha name. I continued to ignore them most of the time. However one day when our sensei asked me a question I didn't know the answer to, everyone laughed and called me a failure and other horrible names. I ran out of the room crying.

As I was leaving I heard our sensei say "Will someone please go after her?" someone answered "I will." and everyone gasped but I was too hysterical to pay attention to who said it.

I ran off the grounds and to a park down the street. I sat on the swings my back to the road and continued to cry. I heard someone come up behind me and sit on the other swing. I looked over to see none other than Itachi Uchiha. (Now I understood why everyone had gasped.) He was from the highest class Uchiha family, why would he come after me.

"What do you want?" I asked tears still streaming down my face.

"They asked me to take you back." Was all he said. I glared at him and opened my mouth to say something but he cut me off. "I know how you feel." He said.

"No you don't. How could you? We come from completely different worlds. You a high-class prodigy, and me the lower class trash. You. Don't. Know. Anything."

"Yes, I do! You think being from the highest class family is easy? It's not! Everyone always expects me to be number one, if I fall one point short my father is ashamed of me. You call that easy?" I just stared at him wide-eyed as he put his head in his hands. Finally, I walked over and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Come on," I said. "let's go back to class." He nodded and we walked back to the academy together. From the second we walked onto the grounds though everyone was staring, it was rather uncomfortable.

The rest of the day went on as usual. I breathed a sigh of relief when I could \finally go home. I smiled as I walked up the familiar path to my house. My mother and father were waiting for me.

"Welcome home sweetheart." She said and kissed me on the forehead.

"Hey bud." Was all my father said and he ruffled my hair. He always called me bud because of my tomboy attitude.

I smiled and then asked, "Where's Kanashimi?" I asked. My older brother was never seen around anymore.

"Up in his room I think." My mother said with a sad smile. "Go on up, he has something he wants to tell you." I thought this was odd Kanashimi never talked to me anymore. It's not that he hated me, we just grew apart. Though he knew I still wanted to play sometimes he just couldn't with the war going on. He was on alert call and was to report when called on. It hadn't happened yet so I, being the naïve child I was, thought it couldn't happen. How wrong I was.

* * *

I knew something was wrong the second I walked in his room. He had his jounin vest on and a packed backpack on the floor. He was sitting on his bed looking out the window. "Hey Kat," He said before I made a sound. He turned towards me. "come here." He said patting the mattress next to him. I walked over and sat down. He looked at me his eyes sad. "I've been called out Kat, they need me to fight in the war." He looked away before continuing. "I'm leaving…tomorrow." I could feel the tears coming to my eyes. Sure we didn't hang out anymore, but I didn't want him to leave.

He made a promise that he would come back. He left the next day at noon, I was sad to see him go but he said he'd be back in two months. When he was gone I went down to the park. But I wasn't alone. Sitting on the very same swing I had yesterday was Itachi Uchiha. I walked up behind him. "Hey," I said, he turned around.

"Oh hi," He said, he looked at me before nodding at the other swing. I sat down. "what's up?" He asked.

I looked at him and then told him about how my brother had left that morning. I felt my eyes tear up by telling him this. He did something I didn't expect, he put his arm around my shoulder. "It'll be alright." Oh how I wish this were so.

* * *

Two months passed, everything was the same except me and Itachi were hanging out a lot more lately. We hadn't received word from Kanashimi in two weeks but I wasn't worried, he said he would be back.

* * *

A week later I was at the park with Itachi. When I got home I went upstairs because I had academy homework to do. When I was done I just looked out my window. I had been doing this for the past week waiting for my brother to return.

This time I did see a jounin or to be more precise two jounin neither of which were my brother come to the door. I waited until they were gone to go downstairs. When I got there my mother was crying. She looked at me with saddened eyes and said, "Kanashimi is missing… they don't know if he's dead or alive."


	2. A Friend Who Helps and Deaths That Don't

It felt like the whole world came crashing down at that moment. So much that I ran out the door crying I went down to the one place I knew I could find Itachi…the upper class section of the Uchiha compound. I swear I'm lucky Fugaku didn't kill me when I knocked on that door. Thank god for Mikoto, she's the one I trusted. At least she didn't freak out at seeing me of all people outside her door.

Oh yeah, one other good thing that happened was Itachi picked that moment to walk out of his room so I didn't have to stay long. Let's just say his eyes widened and he grabbed my wrist and dragged me out the door.

The first words out of his mouth when we got out of that section were, "Are you crazy? You could have been killed Katerina." I just stared at him wide eyed. "What are you staring at?"

"You've never called me Katerina before." I said sadly. I was still in shock about my brother's disappearance.

"Yeah well you've never called me Itachi, does it matter?" He asked lowering his tone a bit. He could sense something was wrong. "So what was so important you had to show up at my place?"

And just like before I told him the events that had occurred in the last five hours, From the jounin to me running out the door. By the time I was done telling him I was in hysterics and crying into his shoulder. Surprisingly the usually emotionless Uchiha put his arm around me and held me to him setting his head on top of mine, though back then it was merely a friendly gesture. After all we were only five.

* * *

Everything went on normally for the next year aside of the fact that I never saw my older brother again. They had taken his name off the missing list and onto the deceased. I cried myself to sleep for three months.

Then one day when I was coming home from Itachi's house, (Yeah with some help from Mikoto we were able to come to an agreement with Fugaku, besides when he saw my true abilities he could care less what family I was from. I was freaking strong.) so I spent a lot of time over there.

The second I stepped in the door my heart shattered. On the floor were two packed backpacks. And behind them stood my parents with there jounin vests on. My mother looked at me sadly. "Mommy what's going on?" I asked though I already knew.

"Your father and I have been called out." She said with sadness in her voice. "We're leaving tonight." My eye teared up and I ran upstairs. I didn't go back down until my parents were leaving. I hugged them goodbye. I never made them promise to come back because I knew my heart would shatter if they didn't.

So there I was, a six year old girl living in a house all alone. Itachi often came to my house after that since I was all alone. We were progressing in the ninja academy quite well. We were half way through year three and had only been there for a year. Itachi still had better score but we were both at the top of the class.

I was so happy I nearly forgot about the possibility of my parents never finding out. At least I did for about six months.

* * *

One night though, I woke up to a knock on the door. I went and opened it with a kunai in my hand. However it was a jounin who stood at my door. He looked at me and handed me an envelope. His eyes seemed sad for just a moment before he left I was confused.

I went into the living room and turned a light on to read the letter. I screamed when I was finished reading and broke into hysterics. Itachi found me still crying on the couch the next day. (I had told him to just come in and I had left the door unlocked after the jounin came the night before.)

His eyes widened and he came over to me.

"Katerina what's wrong?" He asked shocked to find me like this. I nodded to the letter on the table in front of us. When he was done reading it he looked at me again and I swear it looked like he was about to cry…but he didn't.

* * *

The letter had read:

Miss Katerina,

We are sorry to report that your parents were killed in a battle against the village hidden in the mist. They were hit from behind.

We are sorry for you loss.

\- The Ninja Court

* * *

I lived alone for a while after that until Itachi got tired of seeing me mope around that old house. After much persuasion to both me and Fugaku, I moved In with his family. I was six and a half the last time I saw my old house.

The first thing that I said when I walked into his house was "whoa", but it wasn't because of the house, I had seen it before. Even if it had been six months, and that is why my eyes widened at Mikoto's extremely large stomach. "You're…" I was at a loss for words.

"Yes Katerina, I'm pregnant." She said rubbing her stomach. I walked up to her.

"Can I…?" I asked pointing at her stomach.

"Yes Katerina, I don't think you'll hurt him." I put my hand on her stomach and when I did the baby kicked. Mikoto smiled. "Well I guess he approves of you." I laughed for the first time in months.

That was the beginning of my story, one of hate, love, betrayal, and tragedy. A stuck in the middle were me and Itachi. Forever…


	3. Feeling That Develop in the Night

When I moved in with Itachi's family Itachi and I shared a room. This wasn't that weird for us then or even when we go older. We had grown up with it so that was the way it was. Two years passed and we graduated from the academy at age seven. After that we were put into the same squad with a girl named Michi, she became my best friend. Life went on and we stayed close. When we were twelve Itachi and I both tried to get into ANBU, he made it, I didn't.

He came out and found me sitting on a fence looking down, tear streaks on my face. I didn't even know he was there until he put his hand on my shoulder. I looked up to see him wearing an ANBU uniform, kantana on his back, and mask in his hand. I looked back down. "good job" I muttered.

"There's always next year." He said. I nodded and jumped off the fence. "Come on, let's go home." He put his arm around my shoulders and we walked home.

* * *

For the next year Itachi pushed me to my limits to get me stronger, and as we spared I noticed something, I was starting to grow feelings for him. It was an odd feeling but I knew what it was. Finally the day came when I retook the ANBU test. I fought to my full power and I passed. I was thirteen when this happened.

"ITACHI," I yelled. "Itachi I made it." I said when I neared him. When I got to him I jumped and wrapped my arms around his neck. Something I had done when I was happy since I had known Itachi. He hugged me.

"I knew you could do it." He whispered in my ear, his breath on my ear actually sent a shiver down my back, but he didn't notice. I pulled back but kept my arms around his neck. I looked at him and his eyes caught mine. Before I knew what was happening he leaned in and caught my lips with his. It was very brief but I knew what had happened, because I had kissed him back. It lasted two seconds at the most. I pulled away and looked down.

"Um, ah, we…we should go." I said pointing the way towards his house. He nodded and started walking I followed a little distance behind him. Being around him was awkward for the rest of the night. I was confused on if that had meant anything or not.

* * *

That night I lay awake unable to sleep. I had been facing the wall but turned over only to meet Itachi's eyes. (The layout of his room is the door is in the center of the wall to the south directly across from that is a window. On the right side of the room pushed against the west wall with the headboard against the north wall is Itachi's bed and my bed is directly across from his.)

"You're still awake?" He asked.

"I can't sleep." I muttered back to him, trying not to look him in the eyes. I heard him get out of bed and walk over to mine but I still didn't look at him. He sat down on the edge of my bed, and I sat up. Finally I looked at him.

"Why can't you sleep?" He asked. I looked down. "It's because of earlier, isn't it?" he whispered. I nodded.

"I just don't know what to think." I said. "I mean I've always thought of you as a brother but lately…I don't know I, I think I'm in love with you." I put my face in my hands. "Plus you've always treated me like your sister, comforting me when I needed it, helping me train, but I have feelings for you. Feelings that I can't deny." I felt as though I was about to cry but I didn't let myself I just sat there. Next thing I knew Itachi hugged me like he always did when I was sad.

"See there you go again." I muttered.

"What?" He asked.

"You're acting like my brother."

"Maybe," He said pulling back and I could see the smirk on his face; it put butterflies in my stomach. "but your brother wouldn't do this." He said and for the second time that night he leaned in and kissed me it took me a second but I kissed him back. We pulled back for air and then he leaned in again deepening the kiss. My hands locked into his hair and he pulled me closer. We pulled back gasping for air. His mouth then went down to my neck and I gasped having not expected it. I moaned. He laid me back on the bed but we froze when I attempted to take his shirt off.

"We shouldn't." I whispered, he nodded and sat up. I did the same. Thank god it was dark because I was blushing redder than a tomato. He said a simple goodnight and went to his side of the room. I slept easier not because I felt better but because I was now worn out.

* * *

I awoke to six year old Sasuke jumping on Itachi's bed going, "brother, brother, brother, wake up!". I turned over and put a pillow over my head. God, Sasuke was adorable, but sometimes he was annoying as hell.

Itachi saw me and took my lead, putting a pillow over his head. Sasuke however didn't get the message and continued to bug him to the point where we both just got up. Sasuke after yelling "YAY" at the top of his lungs left. I turned to Itachi.

"I liked him better in Mikoto's stomach." I said he laughed and nodded.

After I got dressed I went into the bathroom to do my hair, however when I looked in the mirror I cursed, remembering the events of the night before. Where my shoulder and neck meet was a red mark where Itachi's mouth had been. I did my hair very carefully so that I covered the mark. I doubt that Mikoto and Fugaku would have been happy to find out their son was messing around with his room mate.

* * *

After that Itachi and I often hung out at the tree house we built when we were younger for training. Though it was now used to sneak around since it was to dangerous to keep messing around at night. (We had barriers on the tree house so noone could see it.) We thought noone had ever found out. It turns out Sasuke had seen us when we weren't in the tree house but when I was against a tree with Itachi kissing me. He had kept his mouth shut though. I didn't find out until Itachi had already died several years later.

Little did I know that this was the beginning of the hell I would call life. A hell that was started by the village elders and a bastard named Danzo. But let's save that for the next chapter.


	4. One Good Night in a Life of Hell

When Itachi and I made it into ANBU, Fugaku was rather happy. You see he had been trying to get a spy in the Konoha government for a long time and finally had one, or more specifically two. He assigned us to leak information on Konoha to Uchiha, something which neither of us wanted to do.

We often gave him fake information and at the time, not much would go wrong. However that would change later.

One night when I was walking back to Itachi's, (I had been training in the woods.) I heard someone behind me. I twisted around about to draw a kunai but before I could open my weapons pouch I found myself pinned to a wall, breath tickling my throat. "I wouldn't do that." A familiar voce whispered.

"Itachi," I hissed, "get off." He smirked.

"No," he said bringing his eyes up to meet mine. "I rather like seeing you like this." I gasped, but before I could retort his lips were on mine with a crushing force. For the first time I fought him back, pushing on his chest. He finally pulled back. "What's the matter?" He asked.

"I know what you're trying to get out of me," I breathed, just because I didn't want him doing what he was doing didn't mean I didn't enjoy it. "and the answer is no." He leaned in closer, his mouth coming up to my ear.

"Why not?" He asked, his breath tickling the shell of my ear. "Noone is home tonight, we won't get caught." It was true, Sasuke was at Shisui's and Mikoto and Fugaku were on a mission, but still…

"No," I managed. "you know why we can't."

"No I don't." He tried to look stupid but it didn't work, I can read him to well.

"Yes, you do. Itachi I could get pregnant then where would we be?"

"We can use protection." He said nipping my ear. I shuttered.

"N-no." Damn I stuttered.

Itachi's smirk was clearly visible on his face, damn that fucking smirk. His lips came back to mine, they were a fraction of an inch away. "I know you want this Katerina." His breath ghosted over my lips and I cracked, I had had enough.

My lips hit his with so much force that it actually shocked him, but that didn't last and he kissed me back just as heatedly. When I pulled away for air I glared at him. "I said no," I said humorously. "I mean it if I get pregnant you're dead."

"Yeah right," Was all he said. "and don't worry you won't." With those words said he leaned down and trailed kisses down my neck.

I groaned, "Itachi I swear to god you'll be the death of me." And with that I let him continue.

* * *

At some point we had gotten back to his house and gone to our room. "Are you sure?" He asked and I had to fight the urge to slap him across the face.

"Yes I'm sure I think you had me persuaded when I was pinned to a wall outside." He smirked again and kissed me hard. He turned us so the backs of my knees hit the edge of his bed and we fell. He pulled me up so my head was on the pillows.

To save you from hairy scary details, let's just say things went far from there and aside of the agonizing pain at first, (because unless I'm a whore that was my first for god's sake I was fourteen.) it wasn't that bad.

* * *

We awoke early the next morning in order to erase any trace of the previous night's activities, and so that we had no chance of someone coming in on us since we fell asleep in the same bed obviously. We never spoke of that again oddly enough but it's not too much of a surprise I guess.

After we woke up and got dressed we headed to the ANBU headquarters. This is the place where all the hell would start but it doesn't start today thank god after what had happened the last night.

Itachi and I were both captains so we went our separate ways. We met up with Michi that night to hang out. The three of us hadn't hung out since Itachi and I got into the ANBU. We met in that old tree house I told you about. Michi was the only other person with the seal code to get in, since she helped us build it.

Even Michi didn't know that me and Itachi were in a relationship. However she put the pieces together while we caught up. The entire time Itachi was no more than a couple inches away from me, and as it got later without thinking I put my head on Itachi's shoulder. That was actually normal she had seen me do that before, what gave it away was when Itachi snaked his arm around me and pulled me closer.

Later that night after Itachi fell asleep, (Whenever we get together in the tree house we just spend the night there.) she asked me "Soooo, what's up with you and Itachi?"

I jumped, "I don't know what you're talking about." I said a little too quickly.

The only word that came out of her mouth was "spill".

Needless to say since she was my best friend, I told her everything from the time he kissed me to the previous night. (Well not EVERYTHING.) She just gave me that knowing look and then said, "get some sleep." and with that we went to bed.

* * *

A few weeks later is when all hell broke loose and it started with me eves dropping on a meeting between Danzo and Itachi. You see, I had been walking with Itachi and we were leaving for the day. However we were stopped by another member who told Itachi that Danzo wanted to see him.

So Itachi went to Danzo's office, little did he know I was following a little ways behind him. Itachi was never one to miss a chakra signature but it was clear his mind was elsewhere. He entered his office and I completely concealed my chakra before approaching the door and putting my ear against it.

At first Danzo was just rambling about random ANBU stuff. It was so convincing that I almost just walked away…but I didn't.

Soon enough Danzo gave up the act.

"Uchiha, I assume you realize why you're here?"

"Yes," was he replied.

"Good, we have finally come to a conclusion about what to do about your clan's plans." He stated, 'what plans?' I thought.

"What do you need me to do?" Itachi asked.

"Well, you see, the council has come to a decision…the elimination of the entire Uchiha clan. To be done by March of next year." He stated, not one hint of emotion hinted in his voice.

I gasped, but then thought 'Itachi would never agree to that, he's not that kind of person.' However what I heard next made my heart shatter.

"I understand." Itachi said, "it will be done." I'm surprised they didn't hear my horrified gasp. I ran from the base tears welling up in my eyes. 'Itachi,' I thought 'how could you, I can't believe you would do this.'

I ran straight to our tree house and just sat there crying and thinking, 'why Itachi…why?'


	5. Our Very Fucked Up Mission Begins

I sat there crying for who knows how long. Eventually it was Michi who found me in the tree house, apparently she and Itachi had been looking for me for hours. When she asked me why I had been crying I just turned away.

"No reason," I muttered. "just something that happened." Her eyes widened and I realized what she thought.

"Wait," she said wide eyed. "are you preg_"

"FOR GOD'S SAKE NO!" I yelled, as my best friend I think she would know I would have left town by now if that were the case.

"Okay good, so what else could make you so depressed? The last time you were like this was when we were still in the academy, and your parents had been killed in the war."

I looked away my eyes tearing up once again. Slowly I told her what I had heard. She listened her eye's getting wider by the moment. When I had finished the story the first thing that she said was, "We have to warn the clan."

"No," I said and she looked at me like I was crazy. "I want to confront him about it, besides; if it comes to it I'll warn them at the meeting tomorrow night."

"Okay, but I still can't believe Itachi would do something like this, now I know why the police force is suspicious of him." After those words she clasped her hands over her mouth as if just now realizing what she had said. "That information was covert, I'm not supposed to tell anyone."

"It's okay I'm more than sure that what I eve's dropped on was covert as well." I told her it's not like I would tell on her after what I had done. We could both be put in prison or even killed if anyone found out. I wasn't about to let that happen.

Finally I told Michi I was going to head home, and I would see her later. 'If I don't get killed for being late.' I thought.

We parted ways and I headed back to Itachi's. I walked in and went straight to mine and Itachi's room, ignoring Fugaku's angry expression. Itachi was there but he looked rather troubled. I couldn't figure out why then I thought back and realized that Fugaku's expression hadn't been directed at me, it had been directed toward our room.

* * *

He turned toward me when I entered but I didn't spare him a glance. I was still in shock at what I heard. He continued to stare and I got fed up with it, I swerved around on him and shouted, "Will you stop staring, for god's sake you would think you had never seen me before!" He looked rather shocked at my outburst and turned away. I sighed and sat on my bed, my head in my hands.

* * *

Surprisingly he never asked where I had been, I was thankful for that. However he seemed more distant now it was troubling. It wasn't until I wound up accidentally eves dropping that night that I understood. I heard Fugaku and Itachi arguing. All I heard was something about the police force showing up and confronting him about Shisui's suicide in the river. They had tried to blame Itachi saying it was not a suicide. That explained what Michi had said earlier. Now I was becoming mentally damaged and I went back to our room.

That night Itachi and I were called by Fugaku and Mikoto after Sasuke had gone to bed. Fugaku said our mission as spies was failing, Itachi said he was doing what he was told to and that his own mission started soon. When Fugaku asked what mission Itachi replied that it was covert. Fugaku then said getting rather angry now, "Itachi you two are the bridge between Konoha and Uchiha, you realize that don't you."

Itachi and I were silent, I was sure Itachi could sense the same chakra that I could. For a seven year old Sasuke could conceal his chakra pretty well. Then at the exact same time which surprised me a bit Itachi and I said "Sasuke get back to bed." Mikoto and Fugaku looked surprised.

Sasuke then stumbled into the room, Fugaku was not happy. "What do you think your doing up this late, go back to sleep." Sasuke looked sorry, gave Itachi and I a glance, and left. After that not much happened and Itachi and I returned to our room.

Itachi walked in first and I followed. However I shut the door when I walked in and glared at him. "What mission?" I asked, it was clear that I was pissed off. "You always tell me when you have a mission."

He turned away, "As I said, it's covert. I can't tell you." Even though he tried to cover it I could hear the regret in his voice. My fist clenched and I gritted my teeth. I turned away from him as well.

"Are you going to kill me too?" I asked a mixture of fury, sadness, and regret for ever befriending him in my voice. He turned so fast I wasn't sure what was happening. Though I knew I was in trouble and tried to dodge him I was too slow. I wound up slammed into the wall his hand firmly on my neck, he wasn't choking me, but it was close enough.

"How do you know that?" He asked, his voice filled with anger. "I just found out earlier, so how could you know?"

I directed my eyes away from him. "Ever since we became ANBU, you and I have been called by Danzo at the same time. It's only natural for me to be a little suspecting…I eves dropped on your meeting." I admitted, and surprisingly, his grip on me loosened a little.

"You always have been stupid." He said sadly. "Honestly Katerina, don't you have any common sense at all? Do you know how many times you could have been killed for doing stupid things? Although this is by far the worst of them." He then released my neck and turned away. "I'm sorry, that was uncalled for." Instead of slapping him, shouting, or walking away and ignoring him, all of which I'm sure he was expecting, I did the unexpected. I walked over and hugged him from behind. It took a moment but he wrapped his arms around mine.

"It's okay," I assured him. "I've had worse." It was then that I realized he was shuddering, he wasn't…was he crying. I released him and walked around so I could see his face. He turned but not fast enough, I saw that I was correct, he was crying. "Itachi…" I whispered, running a hand over his arm. He turned toward me, I knew he wouldn't cry for long, he had already stopped. "I'm serious, are you going to kill me?"

"Katerina I…" He sighed, "I don't want to but I'm already going to break the rule." I looked at him confused. "I'm going to let Sasuke live, there is only one way I could let you live."

"How Itachi, I'll do anything." I said meaning it, but he looked at me sadly.

"You would have to help me kill the clan." My eyes widened at this and I turned away. I could feel the tears start to fall. He walked to his side of the room, his back turned to me. "Don't answer now, just think about it. If you decide to help me meet me here at six in two weeks, I want to get this over with after you turn fifteen on Wednesday. If you don't meet me then I'll figure, well…you know." I nodded.

* * *

I could not sleep that night with everything going through my head, and as I lay there thinking another certain Uchiha came to mind. I was going to have to kill Michi. I wasn't sure if I could do that or not. After those thoughts I fell asleep against my will.

* * *

It was surprisingly easy to act normal around everyone, the only day that I wasn't faking my smiles, was my fifteenth birthday. Itachi, Michi, and I all got together, it mad me a little sad to know this was probably the last time the three of us would ever get together. However that sadness was soon pushed aside as the day went on.

Michi got me a bracelet, I never took it off…ever. Itachi gave me a ring that was actually already mine but I had lost it, a few weeks earlier and he had found it. The funny thing is that he was the one who gave me that ring when I turned eight. I had never taken it off the only reason I lost it was because I out grew it so I wore it around my neck on a chain. The chain had broken. I hugged him, not caring that other people who knew us were probably around, secret's out, oh well.

* * *

The rest of the week I kept trying to make up my mind, I had two reasons to help him and two not to. Pros: I get to live and I get to be with Itachi. Cons: I don't want to kill the clan and I will have to kill Michi. "Why me?" I asked the wind. It blew harder and then calmed completely. I sighed, I would have to decide soon. I only had three days left.

* * *

Three days later I sat alone in our room thinking I let out a sigh, I looked at the clock, 5:30. I let out another sigh before walking over to my dresser. Slowly I pulled out my ANBU uniform. I looked at the pictures on top of it. There was the one of our team taken when we were Genin, one of me and Itachi, and then there was one of Itachi, Sasuke, Shisui, and I. It had shocked me when Itachi told me that it was him who killed Shisui. He said that he had done it to unlock the mangekyou sharingan. I shook my head and put my uniform on. I had half an hour to prepare mentally for what was to come.

I sat in a room across the hall from the front door so I heard it open when Itachi came back. However I stayed in the room. I used my sharingan to watch his chakra. I sensed it go up with surprise when he didn't see me in our room and I smirked slightly…but not completely, I couldn't.

I heard him come back out and walk down the hall. Just as he was about to leave I slid the door open. He turned and looked at me surprised. "You're coming?" He asked.

"If you think I'm about to let you do this on your own you're crazy." I replied.


	6. Tragic Events and Shocking Surprises

I don't think I have ever seen Itachi so shocked in his life. He wasn't even this shocked the first time I beat him when we were sparring. And let me tell you, according to Itachi it isn't pleasant having someone disappear before your eyes and kick your legs out from behind…hehe. Anyways back to the subject of the mission.

"You're sure." He said, it wasn't a question but I nodded anyway. He gave a "hn" and motioned for me to follow him. I did, knowing full well what was to come.

* * *

Time seemed to go in slow motion, Itachi had told me about Madara assisting us in killing the clan so the three of us split up into different parts of the compound. Naturally, since I knew what had to be done, I headed towards the side Michi lived on. I had to unlock the mangekyou sharingan…I had to kill my best friend.

I thought back to the day that our team was formed. Michi and I had loathed each other, mostly because I was equal in skill with her, and she's three years older than me. However we soon became friends after we saved each other's lives on a B rank mission.

I'm not going into all of the gory details of everyone I killed, the memories still haunt me, but I will tell you what happened with Michi. I showed up at her house last, so obviously she could tell something was wrong. However I'm sure that she never expected that the person who was attacking everyone outside was…me. She gasped.

"Michi…" I whispered with sadness and regret. "I'm sorry."

When she overcame the shock she replied, "It's okay, he's doing it on an order…" She paused and looked at me, "and you love him." she finished.

I looked at her sadder than I had been before and nodded. If you will save me from having to tell you all that happened after that I would appreciate it, needless to say though, Michi took her last breath in that room.

* * *

I had been told to meet Itachi and Madara at the Konoha gates. I didn't know what had happened with Sasuke until Itachi told me when he arrived at the gates. Soon after Madara followed, we headed to what we knew would have to be our new home, the Akatsuki organization.

* * *

We entered the Akatsuki hideout. The supposed 'leader' Pein, announced, "We have two new members joining us today, Itachi and Katerina Uchiha."

I looked at the other members and recognized one, Orochimaru, the sannin that left the village. There was also a guy who looked like a shark and another who resembled a scorpion.

This was the weird part, Itachi and I still had to share a room. That's right, at the current time there hadn't been enough rooms. Not that we minded. After all, we had shared a room since we were six, actually it would have felt weird if we were in different rooms.

Itachi and I were paired up with the shark looking guy, Kisame. The only group of three but that was because the rings Itachi and I were given were a little…different. You see these rings had a connection. And we both wore them on the same finger. Ironically, the Itachi's ring meant crimson and mine meant black. Just like the sharingan.

* * *

It took me a while to start liking Kisame. You see, the first day we were in Akatsuki, he…um…walked in on me and Itachi kissing. The bastard still doesn't know how to knock, but I think he listened through the door first. Not that he ever heard anything before. It's just that two years after we joined…something happened. (I'll explain it later.)

So here's what happened. Itachi and I were in our new room. And he was making sure I didn't want to back out, for Madara had said I had two weeks if I wanted to drop out, but of course I didn't. Kisame wound up swinging the door open only to see me and Itachi…lips locked.

"Katerina, are you sure you want to do this?"

"Why would you even ask that? Do you think I killed Michi for nothing?" I asked, activating my newly acquired mangekyou.

He sighed, "No I suppose not."

"Exactly." I snapped deactivating the mangekyou and the sharingan all together. Then my voice softened and I moved closer to him lying my head on his shoulder. "Besides, if I left, I wouldn't be with you." I whispered. I pulled back to see his reaction, my obsidian eye looking into his onyx ones. The only reaction I got was Itachi snaking his arm around my waist and pulling me closer before leaning in and passionately kissing me. My arms then ran there way up his chest and around his neck where my hands twisted into his hair.

It was then that the door flew open and whoever was there yelled "whoa!" causing us to quickly pull apart. Itachi and I both glared daggers at the blue skinned man. "Sorry," He said a smirk clearly visible on his face. "Am I interrupting?"

Itachi had to hold me back when I furiously lunged at him. "It's called knocking asshole!" I yelled and I'm pretty sure Itachi mentally face palmed.

Kisame turned to Itachi. "She has a temper doesn't she?" Itachi didn't get to answer.

"Damn right I do." I said Itachi still had a firm grip on my waist holding me back, otherwise I would have had sushi for dinner. "And you have really pissed me off now, what to you want anyways?"

"Pein told me to come and tell you two that I'm your new partner." He said.

I am not joking, I screamed so loudly that I'm pretty sure the whole hideout heard me. I also pulled away from Itachi, and let's just say Kisame had a black eye for the next two weeks. The thing is, I'm a medical ninja. I am so evil.

* * *

A few months later Orochimaru tried to steal Itachi's body. Obviously he failed and left Akatsuki the next day. Not much I can say hear since I wasn't present at the time.

Okay, so earlier I mentioned how Kisame most likely listened before he enters, now I'll explain that. Eight months before my seventeenth birthday, I noticed that Itachi was acting more distant from me. It was getting rather annoying. He wouldn't even let me that close to him, much less kiss him, and I hadn't done anything.

Since we can wear what we want when we're at headquarters without the Akatsuki cloak. So, knowing none of the other guys would dare try anything for fear Itachi murdered them, I put on a pair of rather short shorts, and a thin strapped tank top with the Uchiha symbol emblazed on the back…however the tank showed an inch of skin.

As I suspected, noone said anything to me as I walked down the hall, or for the rest of the night. Itachi, frustratingly enough, hardly spared me a glance. So later in our room I confronted him.

"You," I sneered, "have been ignoring me."

"I have? I hardly noticed." He replied

I mean it, I almost smacked him right there…almost. "Don't give me that crap Uchiha. What the hell it wrong with you?"

"Nothing…I just don't care about you that way anymore." He answered. This time I did smack him.

"The hell you don't," I muttered angrily, just loud enough for him to hear. I knew Itachi, he would never take advantage of a girl, not unless he truly cared about her. I walked up to him, grabbed him by the shirt collar, looked him straight in the eye, then kissed him hard, heatedly, and fevered. I pulled back before he could react. "Still don't care Uchiha?" I saw emotion behind his eyes, he still cared. He seemed stunned but then he gave me that stupid smirk of his.

"I don't know, why don't you try that again." I knew he was basically saying that he still cared for me. I pounced on him, knocking him onto the bed. This time however I was to into the…um…_things _he was doing to me to think of protection, but it hadn't been that time of the month.

* * *

Itachi stopped ignoring me after that, and for two weeks after that things were fine. But then I started getting sick in the morning. Thank god that I always, and I mean always, wake up before Itachi. At first I passed it off as the flu…but then I skipped. I thought that it was just a coincidence. I continued on with the Akatsuki. Konan and I had become pretty good friends, so we often talked much like me and Michi had. But I didn't even tell her what was going on.

I even went on missions still. Konan said that I was acting odd but I told her I was fine. At least I thought that I was.

* * *

Then a month later…I skipped again. Now I was suspecting something was wrong. I also noticed that I was gaining weight. Slowly, I lifted my shirt, revealing my stomach. I looked at the slowly growing bump. I activated my sharingan, and put my hand on it. Concentrating I checked my chakra. I gasped.

* * *

I was walking around the base restlessly. 'Oh god, oh god, oh god…' Were my only thoughts, what was I going to tell Itachi? Finally, I got up the nerve to face him. Slowly I walked back to our room. Thankfully, Itachi was there.

He looked up when I entered. I must have looked worried or something because he asked, "Katerina, what's wrong."

"Itachi…" I looked away.

"What?" He asked.

"Itachi I'm…" I looked him in the eye sadly, and then sighed before saying. "Itachi I'm pregnant."


	7. Missions and Confessions

Itachi looked as if he had just seen a ghost. "You're…what?" He asked, I take back what I said earlier. This is by far the most shocked I have ever seen him in my life.

I turned away, looking at my feet. He walked over to me with his sharingan activated and put his hand on my stomach. He closed his eyes and sighed. He knew I was right. I could feel the tension in his muscles. Finally he asked, "Have you told Pein yet?"

I shook my head. I had figured it would be best to tell Itachi seeing as he was the father. Why did this have to happen to me of all people. Hasn't the world punished me enough? On the other hand Itachi took it better than I thought he would. "Are you going to keep it?" The question shocked me.

"I don't know," I admitted. "I thought I would ask you if you wanted to keep it or not. Plus there's Pein to worry about."

"Katerina," He said. "I want you to keep it. I'll take care of Pein…and Madara." He stated. I looked at him in shock.

"Itachi would you really…"

He cut me off, "Yes, I would. I love you Katerina, plus now we can restart the clan." I smiled, one of the reasons I loved Itachi was because of how caring he was. I turned to leave, but he grabbed my wrist. "Wait, I still want you to tell Pein…but make sure Konan's in the room." I nodded in understanding. Pein was going to be mad and Konan's the only one who can calm him down. I figured I should tell Konan before Pein as well.

* * *

I walked to Konan's room as quickly as I could, knowing I would have to tell Pein soon. I knocked on her door when I approached. She opened the door and let me in. I told her what was going on.

"I knew you were acting weird, why didn't you say anything." She asked, and I turned toward her.

"Put yourself in my place, what would you do?" I replied, she thought for a moment before saying.

"Fair enough, but I don't know how much help I can be."

"Just keep Pein from killing me."

"I can probably handle that."

"Good."

* * *

We both walked to Pein's office. Konan knocked and entered without waiting for a reply. I followed. "Leader-sama." I muttered. He nodded in acknowledgement. Well I told him what was going on and needless to say he wasn't too happy. He lunged at me with a kunai. And a lot of help Konan was, she couldn't stop him. somehow Itachi got in the room. HE, stopped Pein. I know for a fact that Pein was going to make me get rid of the baby. But Konan talked some sense into him. However I still had to go on missions. At least until I was at six months.

* * *

To say that I was happy about my pregnancy wouldn't be a complete lie. I mean, me and Itachi were able to make some pretty odd bets. But here's the main one, I said it was going to be a girl, he said it would be a boy. So I said, "Fine, if you're so sure I bet you sixty-five ryo that it's a girl. Also if it is a girl I name her, if it's a boy, you name him."

He agreed to this. I still went on missions even if they were minor ones. Kisame was pretty shocked when he found out. Along with the rest of the Akatsuki, but since leader accepted it, so did they.

* * *

I was off missions once I hid six months. Then something happened that really pissed me off. Itachi got sent on a mission…one month before I was born. But he promised to be back before I had the baby. Yeah right.

Before he left he knelt down to my stomach and said, "If I'm not back in time you had better be a boy or I'm going to loose some money." I laughed and he looked at me funny.

"You just sealed your fate Uchiha, noone ever listens to you. So now I know it's a girl." I replied. Itachi growled before pulling me into a kiss and saying, "I'll be back in time."

* * *

Yeah well incase you haven't already figured it out, he didn't make it. That mission kept him away for three months. When he got back I heard Kakazu stop him and say, "Watch out, she'll steal your money." Before he walked away, muttering things under his breath, even though it probably had something to do with money, and I felt Itachi's fear of coming in our room increase in his chakra.

Finally he opened the door. I stood there, my arms crossed and my stomach almost completely back to normal. He tried to say some thing but I beat him to it. "You're dead Uchiha, oh, and you also owe me sixty-five ryo. I named her Michi…because of…well you know."

His eyes widened before he asked, "Where is she?"

I smirked, "I want my money first Uchiha." He gave me the money, muttering something about "Selfish bitch." I playfully smacked him before lifting Michi from her crib.

"You must have strong genes," I said. "She's identical to you except she has more of my blue in her hair. She even got the lines you have on your face, though it fits her." I handed her to Itachi. The last time I had seen Itachi look so protective was when he held Sasuke as a baby. It made my smile. Michi woke up and stared curiously at Itachi before deciding she was safe and drifting back to sleep. My smile widened.

"I guess she likes you." I commented. "Then again, she probably just thinks you're weak like I do." I continued, this earned me a light punch to the shoulder. "Ow, I was only joking Uchiha, god."

"Hn." Was all I got as a reply.

"Oh come on, don't start giving _me_ on syllable responses."

"I can answer with one syllable if I want to."

"Cannot."

"Can to."

"Whatever."

"You sound like a child Katerina. And I pray that Michi didn't inherit that part of your personality."

"Hey!"

He just smirked and put Michi back in her crib before disappearing and reappearing behind me. "I never said it didn't work with you." He whispered in my ear.

I smirked and turned around, "That's good, because you're stuck with this childish personality for the rest of your life.

He returned my smirk, "I think I can deal with that." He then leaned down and pulled me into a searing kiss that left me breathless. He then turned and left the room. My only thoughts were, 'I am going to kill him.' before I followed.

* * *

When Michi was two I started teaching her ninja techniques. What? You say that's two early? Not for Michi it wasn't. She was obviously mine and Itachi's child. She was one hell of a prodigy. She was the skill level at age two that Itachi and I were at five.

She continued to advance and unlocked her sharingan at three. Let's just say Kisame know that she got my temper. For a three year old with a class one sharingan she has strong genjutsu. It took Itachi three hours to free Kisame while I sat there laughing my ass off. Michi got payback for me. Kisame still refuses to tell us what he saw.

* * *

Then, when Michi was three and a half, Itachi and I were told we had to go on a mission and we could take Michi. Our mission was at our old village, Konoha. Our objective…capture the Kyuubi.

Itachi and I knew that Sasuke was going to find out no matter how hard Konoha tried to keep it a secret. We weren't worried about that though. What worried us was the fact that we were taking Michi with us and she could easily be used against us. This was not going to be easy.


	8. A Mission and Disease

Itachi, Kisame, Michi, and I, were heading to Konoha. I was carrying Michi on my back. I looked over at Itachi, the same fear I had reflected in his eyes. Sasuke could not find out Michi was our child.

"Mom, where are we going?" Michi asked me. I sighed turning to Itachi for help. This was a difficult subject for both of us.

"To the village your mother and I grew up in." He supplied, I gave him a grateful look.

"Oh," She said, sometimes I thought she asked too many question that were hard to answer. "So let me get this strait. You want me to keep my had on no matter what?"

"Exactly, we can't have people knowing who you are. It's dangerous for you and us." I said gesturing to me and Itachi. Kisame nodded to her agreeing we were the ones who should be worried.

* * *

Finally we reached the village gates and Itachi put a genjutsu on the guards so that we could pass.

Once we entered the village we realized we had some time to kill so we stopped at a tea house. Unfortunately, so did Sasuke. He was apparently meeting his sensei there. Bad timing if you ask me.

* * *

We quickly left…but not as unnoticed as we thought. Kakashi Hatake had seen us. He confronted us as we walked down a vacant street. "Well," He said, "this is a shock." His two subordinates then showed up.

"Who are they?" One asked.

"Itachi…Uchiha, and Katerina too it seems…and the other one would be Kisame Hoshigaki. However I don't know who the kid is.

Michi (Who I had long since put down.) slightly retreated behind me. She was the only one out of the four of us who still had her hat on. Therefore Kakashi had no idea who she was. It was bluntly obvious to see she was our daughter if you saw her…or at least Itachi's, the resemblance is uncanny.

"I guess it doesn't matter either way, being rough ninja, they must be defeated." Kakashi said. Itachi and I took a defensive stance while Kisame drew Samahada. Michi was ready to dodge anything that may come her way as we had told her to.

We battled and Michi really only had to dodge a few stray kunai and shirken. That was until they must have realized I kept an eye one her because Kakashi suddenly threw a kunai her way. She had good enough reflexes to dodge it without being cut but it shocked her so badly that she was a little slow. Her straw hat fell off, reveling features strikingly similar to Itachi's. He stopped stunned, looking from Itachi to Michi, and finally to me. I was looking to the side with my eyes shut and a slightly pained expression on my face.

"Well," Kakashi said. "this I surprising. I never thought the ones to destroy the Uchiha clan would be the ones to restart it as well." I visibly flinched. I then became furious, they didn't know a thing.

I restarted the battle and it was fiercer than before. Itachi wound up putting Kakashi in the tsukuyomi; this worried me I could tell he was over using the mangekyou sharingan. When Might Guy showed up and managed to kick Kisame, he noticed how worn Itachi looked. "Itachi," he said. "You've over used the sharingan, you know that's dangerous."

"I know," he said holding his eye which slowly began to bleed. "We didn't come here to start a full out battle, tempting as it may be. Let's go."

I picked Michi back up and she climbed onto my back. We quickly left.

* * *

"Itachi…" I said as we left. I could tell his eyes weren't the only thing bothering him, but he just kept going. He gave me a look that said he was fine…but I knew otherwise.

* * *

Several months ago…

"Itachi…" I asked noticing he was leaning against the wall for support…again.

"Hn," I glared at him for using an one syllable reply but the glare didn't last long because he started having a coughing fit. It would have been normal…until I noticed the red drops falling from between his fingers.

I gasped. "Itachi what the hell…what's wrong with you!" I asked running up to him. He looked at me a pained expression on his face.

"Katerina…" He said, his voice raw from coughing. He took a deep breath before turning to me and saying. "Katerina I…I contracted a fatale disease. I'm dieing." He looked away from me, I knew what I had heard, but my brain wouldn't accept it.

"N-no…Itachi…you can't be!" I said, tears streaming down my face. I grabbed the collar of his shirt. "Please tell me you're lying." I sobbed, but the expression on his face said the unspoken. My knees gave out and Itachi held me up against him. My hands were still clutching his shirt, I was crying into his chest. "W-why me…I-I always loose e-everything." I managed to get out. He just held me closer.

"I don't know Katerina…I honestly don't."

* * *

I had to blink several times to stop myself from crying at the memory of it. Itachi was strong, but noone is invincible. He wouldn't last long if he kept pushing himself over his limit.

It was quite clear that the Kyuubi was not in Konoha. We figured he would be at a nearby village so we went to the closet one. He wasn't that hard to find. The problem was when we found him…Sasuke showed up. I pushed Michi behind me so that she couldn't be seen. The last thing I needed was for Sasuke to find out.

Kisame turned and looked at him, he said, "He bears a great resemblance to you Itachi…who is he?"

"My little brother." Itachi answered.

"Enough talk," Sasuke said. "Just as you said, I've hated you detested you. And just to kill you I've…I've survived." Sasuke's hand powered up with chidori.

During the fight Sasuke was so focused on trying to get his revenge, he didn't notice Michi. However I knew this couldn't last. He finally noticed when we had to dodge a stray attack. "Who's the kid?" He asked.

"Aw fuck." I muttered so he couldn't hear. I looked at him and said clearly. "None of your concern, just someone we brought along."

Sasuke smirked, "Oh really, then you won't mind me doing this." And with unnatural speed he flung a kunai at Michi. I knew there was no way she could dodge that. On instinct I flung my arm out and the kunai embedded itself deep in my arm. I hissed in pain. "I knew it that's not just some random kid, now who…" He stopped his question when he saw her face. Slowly he turned to look at Itachi, then back to Michi. His eyes widened. "You bastard, you kill everyone in our clan aside of me and Katerina, and you go off and do that. Who…" He stopped and glared at me. "It's you, isn't it?"

"Yes," I mumbled.

After this the battle presumed, while they were fighting Sasuke continued to ask questions. "So did you force her or what?"

I glared daggers, "He did no such thing, it was actually my fault more than his. If I were you I would stop talking before I dropped dead because of it."

Sasuke was silent, but I could still see the questions in his eyes. 'Well,' I thought. 'He can deal with it.'

When Jiraiya arrived, we had to make a run for it, Itachi, against my pleading, used the amaterasu to get us out. After we were a good distance away we stopped, Itachi's sharingan had involuntarily deactivated from over use.

I glared at him. "Why didn't you let me do the amaterasu to get us out, you already over used your eyes in the first battle." Kisame, realizing I was mad muttered something about food and disappeared. When he was gone I turned to Itachi anger replaced my sadness. I put my hand on his chest. "You're going to kill yourself." I said quietly.

I could see the shock on his face, that wasn't what he had expected me to say. I ran my hand down his chest and turned away. "You seem surprised that I said that."

"It's not what I expected." He admitted. I looked at him when I heard his breath hitch. He fell to his knees coughing up blood.

"Itachi!" I kneeled down next to him. "See? I told you you over did it!"

When he finally stopped I looked at him worriedly, right now I was glad fish stick had taken Michi with him. "Are you okay?" I asked.

"I'm fine." He mumbled before going over to the river to rinse his mouth out. I put my head in my hands trying to keep myself from crying. I felt a hand on my arm, I looked up and saw Itachi. "Katerina, I told you I'm fine."

I nodded wiping my eyes. He sighed and pulled me into an embrace. "It'll be okay." I nodded, but I couldn't stop the tears that began to fall once again falling softly into his shirt. What a truly dark world I lived in.


	9. A Life of Surprises

I continued to clutch Itachi's shirt until he pried me off. He put his fingers under my chin to make me look at him. "I won't leave without a fight." He whispered before bringing his lips to my. It was slow at first but as we pulled apart and leaned back in it became more heated. Each kiss longer and filled with more hunger for each other than the last. Finally he pushed me up against a tree, his hands slipping up my shirt and running over the small of my back, causing me to moan. (When we stopped we had removed our cloaks.)

I pushed myself into him more and ran my hands down his chest. I felt his muscles tense under my touch as he groaned. I started to pull his shirt off when someone said "Can you two at least wait until we get back to the hideout?" We pulled apart and looked over to see Kisame with his hand over Michi's eyes. "We have an innocent with us you know." Itachi moved away from me and we both of us glared at Kisame.

"You know," I said. "You would think you had learned from the first time." I said cracking my knuckles. He removed his hand from Michi's eyes.

"You wouldn't do that in front of your daughter." He said smirking.

"The hell I won't." I replied. I lunged at him but was stopped by Itachi who grabbed my waist. (Now where have I seen this before?) "One day fish stick." I yelled. "One day I'll have sushi for dinner."

He laughed, "I'd like to see you try, you're the most useless of the three of us not counting Michi." I glared and surprisingly Itachi let me go. I looked at him to see he was glaring as well. "Itachi what the hell!" he yelled caught off guard.

"She's more useful than you are." Was all he said. I didn't even waste my energy on him; I stepped forward like I was going to attack and he coward like a little child. Seeing that was good enough for me. "Enough you two, let's head back." Itachi finally said.

Kisame and Michi immediately began to walk away. I walked next to Itachi a little ways behind them mumbling about him ruining all of my fun. His hand came up and ran up my back, causing me to shudder. He smirked at me. "I don't ruin all of your fun, do I?" He whispered in my ear. I shuddered again.

"Not all of it." I managed.

He smirked at me again before continuing without a word.

* * *

Finally we arrived back at the base, Pein wasn't happy to hear we had failed, but let it go. Michi went with Kisame for a while so Itachi and I were alone in our room. We just stood there until he suddenly turned and pinned my wrists to the wall. "I never finished what I started." He whispered before pressing his lips back on mine again. He pulled me away from the wall and pushed me onto the bed kissing his way down my neck causing me to let out a moan before I pulled his shirt of. His hands slipped underneath mine, exploring my bare skin…and things went on from there.

Later I lay in his arms as he held me close. "I love you." He whispered.

"I love you, too." I replied, and then I looked at the clock. "We should get up; Kisame will only keep Michi for so long." He nodded before getting up. I did the same.

We went to the main room. Kisame was in there with Michi who seemed incredibly board. "Are you two finally done?" He asked in annoyance.

"Hey fish stick, we can always go back." If it's possible Kisame visibly paled. I turned to Michi. "What did you do?" I asked.

"I got board so I put a genjutsu on uncle Kisame." I stared with an expressionless face before cracking up. Kisame glared.

"What?" I asked between laughing. "You have to admit it's pretty pathetic when one of the seven great swordsmen gets put in a genjutsu by a three year old girl." I looked at Itachi who had a small smirk on his face.

"So how did you get out without me?" He asked Kisame.

"I broke out on my own after about half an hour." He said.

"I didn't use a strong one; I just wanted to see how long it would take him to get out." Michi said and I laughed again.

"You are defiantly my daughter." I said.

"She's a Katerina junior that looks like Itachi." Kisame said. Itachi and I nodded in agreement.

Michi and Itachi left to train leaving me with Kisame. "So," he said with a smirk. "How was it?" I smacked him across the face before turning and following Itachi and Michi.

* * *

We trained for about three hours before stopping. Michi's sharingan was nearly complete. She just needed one more comma in one eye. Her fire style techniques were doing well too. If it wasn't for how short she was you would never know she was only three.

I looked at Itachi and noticed how worn he looked. I told Michi to go inside. She did.

"You forgot to bring your medicine out, didn't you?" I asked, he simply looked at me with a pained expression. "Heads up." I said tossing him a bottle which he caught. He looked at it. It was his medicine.

He sighed, "Thanks." He said.

"You idiot you can't forget that," I said walking up next to him. "especially with Michi around. You're lucky I notice that you forgot it and that you were getting tired. Which only happens when you don't take it." He nodded in response. I sighed, "And you say I do stupid things." I mocked.

"That's because you do." He replied.

"Even so, you're not supposed to, it's my job." I said putting my arms around his neck.

"That it is." He said bringing his lips to mine.

* * *

Michi was defiantly the best prodigy that Uchiha has ever had, Followed boy Itachi and then me. She fully unlocked the sharingan a little after she turned four. So that was a new training we had to add to the list. Itachi mostly covered that training though considering he was the one who had to teach me. I just couldn't listen to anyone else in Uchiha. They were all too confusing for me.

Michi asked about the mangekyou sharingan, and how we acquired it, but I couldn't answer that. Even Itachi couldn't bring himself to say it. We told her that she'd know someday. Which is true, I knew that weather we told her or not she would find out.

On another topic of the mangekyou, Itachi's sight as well as mine was getting worse with every passing day. Itachi's more than mine though. I could tell because they were slowly becoming unfocused.

"Itachi," I finally said one day when Michi wasn't in the room. "You have to stop using the mangekyou so much. You're going blind, and it's because you never let me use it. Yes it preserves my sight, but you're loosing yours!" I turned to look at him. He was looking away from me. "Itachi you need to stop this."

He finally looked at me. "I know, I just don't want you to go blind too."

"Itachi you can't stop what's meant to happen. Even if you help me keep my sight a little longer, the mangekyou will take it eventually."

He disappeared and reappeared behind me. I spun around and he grabbed my shoulders. "I know," He said. "I just don't want you to have to use it until after…"

I cut him off. "Until after you're gone." I supplied. "Yeah, I know, but I don't care. I won't stand back while you loose your eyesight."

"Katerina…"

"What." I snapped.

He hugged me. "Thank you." He said.

I hugged him back. "Just don't over do it." I muttered. He nodded.

Michi retuned shortly after. I knew she could tell something wrong but I didn't know how much she knew. Though honestly if she knew about the mangekyou by now it wouldn't surprise me, she was now five and had a habit of eves dropping on conversations. Great another trait she got from me.

It was hard to believe it had been almost seven years since we joined Akatsuki. Itachi and I were now twenty-one. Itachi was so much different from that boy I met when I was five. Also he has become way more protective.

* * *

Eight months ago…

We had been on a mission and were heading back, unfortunately we ran into black ops on our way. We took out most of them so that there were only two left. Unfortunately there were actually three. One came up behind me. Itachi turned to warn me and got slashed down the wrist. Had he not warned me, I would have been dead. That black op had been aiming for my heart. I was still almost killed though. When I turned the blade got redirected. It slashed a deep cut across my stomach.

Itachi after quickly taking them out came over to find me nearly unconscious. I was keeping my self awake barley. I couldn't heal myself. When he came over the only thing I could mutter was, "Konan." She was the only other medic in Akatsuki. He understood and but his arm over the gash to slow the bleeding.

* * *

I stood there thinking about that and tracing the scar through my clothing. When I started coughing, this had been happening for the last two months. I figured I had just gotten something but this time was different. I continued to cough and had an agonizing pain in my chest. It was then that I fell to my knees coughing up blood. When I was done I looked at my hands. 'What the hell?' I thought I went and washed my hands and face before going to find Itachi.

I finally found him. "Itachi," I said.

"Hn," I didn't even glare.

"That disease you got, how did you say it was spread?"

"Through the blood, why?"

"Which arm did you use to cover my wound when I got injured on that mission?"

"My right one, Katerina what's wrong?" I walked over to him and grabbed his arm flipping it so I could see his wrist. There was a white scar where the black op had slashed him.

"Oh god no." I said in horror.


	10. The Truth

Itachi looked at me and once again asked, "Katerina, what's wrong?"

"Itachi I…" I was cut off by the pain that returned to my chest, I began coughing once again.

"Katerina…" He stopped when he saw that I was coughing up blood. "Katerina what the hell? What's wrong?"

I stopped coughing and looked up at him. "Itachi I think that when you were trying to stop the bleeding that your blood got into my system. Itachi…I think that you gave me that disease."

His eyes widened. "Katerina I…what?" I looked away unable to meet his eyes.

"The truth is I have been coughing for months, I just ignored it but now I'm coughing up blood." I admitted.

He looked over at me and activated his sharingan. Just as he had to confirm that I had been pregnant he shut his eyes but instead of putting his hand on my stomach he put it on my chest. His eyes widened. He pulled away like it had burned him; he looked like he could kill himself.

"Itachi?" I asked, I looked at him and saw he was looking at me like it was his fault I wound up like this. "Oh, no. Don't even think about blaming this on yourself. If you hadn't slowed the bleeding I would already be dead. Don't regret what you did for me."

"Katerina, how long have you been coughing?" He asked me.

"I don't know, about three months I think."

"When did you start coughing up blood?"

I looked away from him, "Yesterday." He sighed.

"You realize you only have about five years to live now, don't you?" He turned away from me as he said this.

"Itachi," I grabbed his arm and turned him towards me. "I already said that I don't blame you." I embraced him, "I could never blame you."


	11. Strong Feelings

I put my head against his chest. He stroked my hair with one hand while the other one held me close. I felt like crying, but I didn't. "I love you." He whispered. I looked up at him but he was looking straight ahead as if deep in thought.

"Itachi…" I whispered and he looked at me. "I love you too, which is why I can't blame you." I sighed. "What are we going to tell Michi?"

"Don't tell her anything yet." I looked at him. "Besides, she'll figure it out eventually." I simply nodded enjoying the feel of being in his arms. Finally he let me go, I watched him as I pulled away. "We have another mission starting tomorrow, just you and I since Kisame is still recovering from last time. Michi won't be able to come with this time either, it's too dangerous." I nodded and he left the room. After he left I fell against the wall, finally allowing the tears to fall. I could have sworn I heard him fall against the opposite side of that wall in the hall.

* * *

I couldn't sleep that night, Itachi must have noticed because he put his arm around me and pulled me into his chest. I always feel safe in his arms; I was able to sleep a little bit easier.

* * *

The next day Itachi and I left for our mission, after telling Michi goodbye and threatening the rest of Akatsuki that she had better be in one piece when we get back.

Our mission was to collect some information on an ANBU hideout and to report back. Obviously they were hunting Akatsuki. That's why Michi couldn't come with, she could be used against us.

We slipped through the trees around the base, masking our chakra signatures. Itachi and I split up to cover more ground. I was half way around my side when I felt a faint signature. I froze when I felt the cold metal of a kunai pressed against my throat. I let out a shaky sigh. How could I have missed that signature? "Say a word and I'll slit your throat." A voice from behind me said.

I stood there and shut my eyes praying that Itachi would find me. My prayers were answered. "Let her go." My eyes snapped open.

"Ita…" I stopped when the kunai was pressed harder against my neck and I felt the small slit it made. I gasped.

After that things happened so quickly I wasn't sure what had happened. All I knew was Itachi lunged at the ANBU, the ANBU tried to finish me but I move his arm so it still slashed my neck but missed my trachea and aorta. It still bled a lot though and it was making me a little dizzy. After we took him out I collapsed from blood loss. Had Itachi not been there I would have fallen out of the tree. He caught me.

"Itachi…" I forced out. "I'm sorry, that was a stupid move on my part."

"Don't talk." He told me softly and I could feel his chakra on my wound. It slowly began to close. I was glad that he had forced me to teach him medical jutsu after my stomach was slashed. "You're right though that was reckless." Once my wound was closed I stood up and went to head back to the hideout. However before I could Itachi grabbed my wrist and pulled me into him where he held me close. "Don't ever do it again." I could tell he was trying to keep a monotone voice but it didn't work. I looked at him and could see all of his emotion in his eyes. He had been scared.

I reached up to my neck where the wound had been and felt how much blood was there. It had been worse than I thought. My eyes widened. "Itachi I…I'm sorry."

He simply held me closer. I had never seen him this worried in my life. He truly cared a great deal for me and Michi.

* * *

We returned to the hideout and gave our report to Pein. I then went and took a shower to wash away all the blood. There had been a lot; it ran from my neck down my side and to my thigh. I couldn't help but wonder why I hadn't passed out.

When I came out all I had on was a tank top and shorts, but that's what I always wore when I wasn't doing anything. Itachi was sitting on the bed and I wasn't surprised to see he didn't have a shirt on. I sat next to him. "How bad was my wound Itachi?"

"You're lucky to be alive, that's all I'm going to say." I figured that's all I would get as a response. I leaned against his shoulder and he put his arm around me. I fell asleep against him.

* * *

I awoke the next morning in a different position than usual. Normally I have my back against Itachi with his arm wrapped around me. This morning however, I was on my stomach half on top of Itachi, My head was lying on his shoulder one of my hands was lying on the center of his chest the other was on the pillow next to his head. I continued to act like I was asleep because I could tell by his breathing that he was awake. His hand stroked my hair and down my back which caused me to shiver.

"I knew you were awake." He said a smirk on his face.

"Yeah, well maybe I like this position." I retorted, that was the wrong thing to say I could tell, because his smirk widened. He grabbed my wrists and flipped so he was on top of me with my hands pinned above my head.

"Well I like this one better." He whispered in my ear before nipping it and kissing his way down the sensitive skin to my neck. I struggled against his hold on my wrists arching into him.

"I-Itachi, let go of my wrists." I managed.

His eyes met mine. "Why should I? I like to see you at my mercy." I shivered at his words before his lips came down on mine. The kiss was long but held a hunger for each other in it. He pulled back and I glared.

"Itachi I mean it if you don't let me g_Ah." He released my wrists slid his hands up my shirt as his mouth returned to the sensitive skin where my neck met my shoulder. One of my hands twisted in his hair the other gripped the sheets. I let out a long moan when his hands slowly slid there way down my back before he removed my shirt.

"Itachi I'm going to kill you." I said glaring.

"Let's see if that's what you say when I'm done with you." He said and with those words he trailed his mouth down my neck and collar bone down lower and his hand slid down my stomach. You probably know what happened next.

* * *

He rolled off of me and laid on his back before pulling me into him. "Still going to kill me?" He asked a bit humorously. "Because judging by the way you were screaming my name I don't think that'll be any time soon."

I smacked his arm. "Shut up Uchiha." I muttered, he smirked.

"How much you want to bet noone in the hideout can look us in the eye today."

I laughed, "How much you want to bet Deidara gets mysteriously ill today?"

He smirked and I moved in closer to him. I loved him, more than anyone could ever know. Him and Michi both, 'I just hope that what Konan told me isn't true.' I thought.


	12. I Guess it was All Fated

Itachi and I were both right. No one would look us in the eye and Sasori said that Deidara was mysteriously ill. Kisame and Michi were the only ones who were able to act normal around us. (Thank god Michi's room has a sound barrier around it.)

Michi was out training so Kisame, Itachi, and I were sitting out in the main room. Kisame wouldn't stop staring at us. It was a little unnerving. Finally he spoke. "Aren't you two just a little worried another Michi might happen?" He asked.

I looked down and Itachi glared. "What?" Kisame asked startled by Itachi's reaction. "I'm just saying you never know."

"Kisame do you remember the solo mission Itachi and I went on before this one? The one where I came back half dead." I asked. He looked confused until realization struck him.

"Yeah, what about it?" He asked.

"That wound was large…and deep. Konan told me something when I finally regained consciousness.

* * *

It had been a week since Itachi had carried me half dead back to the Akatsuki hideout. I had been unconscious for about that entire time frame.

When I woke up Konan was standing over me. I sat up wit a horrible headache. I looked at Konan. "What happened?"

"You were attacked by black ops. You were severally injured." She replied.

The memories came back to me and I looked at my bare stomach (that's why Konan was there.) It was heavily bandaged. The bandages were red in some places where the blood seeped through. I sighed, "How long was I out?"

"Almost a week."

"A _week?_ It was that bad?"

She nodded. "Katerina…there's one more thing." She said a bit sadly.

"What?"

"The kunai hit several major organs, I was able to heal them but do to the severity of it," She sighed. "Katerina you're not going to be able to get pregnant again."

Now most people in my situation probably would have thought of that as a good thing. I on the other hand didn't. Yes I was an S rank criminal. Yes I lived with killers, but that didn't mean I didn't want another child. I looked away.

"I'm sorry Katerina." She said.

"So am I." I replied sadly.

* * *

Kisame stood there, his mouth slightly agape. "So that's why you didn't try and kill me for once. Wow never thought I'd say this to you but, I'm sorry."

I looked him straight in the eye and said what I had told Konan, "So am I." I then got up and left the room.

* * *

I went back to our room. I expected Itachi to come after me. He didn't though and honestly, I was glad. I sat on the bed and I let the tears fall. Somewhere out in the main hall I heard a crash and Kisame yelled, "Itachi what the hell!"

What I heard next made my eyes widen, it was Itachi's voice. "If you ever make her cry again and I hear of it, you won't be walking for at least a month. Got it?"

Next was Kisame's voice, it was hoarse and faint like he had been beaten pretty badly. "Y-yeah, got it."

"Good," was Itachi's reply. It was then that Itachi came to our room. He found me sitting on the bed with my back to the headboard, my knees pulled up to my chest with my arms wrapped around my legs. My head was down against my knees.

He came up and sat next to me. I looked up at him the tears still falling down my face. He pulled me into him. I leaned against his shoulder and continued to cry as he stroked my hair. I gripped his shirt.

I finally stopped crying. I pulled back from him and looked at him. "Are you okay?" He asked. I nodded wiping my eyes.

"Kisame is the only one who can make me this upset, weather it's mad or sad. Why can't he just leave me alone?" I asked leaning back into him.

"I don't think he'll be bugging you anymore." Was Itachi's reply and I let out a small laugh.

"Yeah I could hear you." I said burying my face in his neck. His arm wrapped around me. "Itachi, why do these things always happen to me? It's like the world wants me to live in misery. Ever since Kanashimi went missing everything in my life has been down hill" I looked up at him. "Well, almost everything." He didn't respond, he just tightened his hold on me as if saying he'd never let me go.

I looked at him, "Itachi," I whispered, he turned to look at me. "Just don't leave me any time soon." I finished before pressing my lips to his. His grip loosened before he pulled me so I was on his lap. My arms wrapped around his neck. When we pulled apart I laid my head on his chest and slowly drifted into sleep.

* * *

I awoke to Itachi shifting next to me before getting up and running into the bathroom. I could tell it was the middle of the night by how dark it was. I could hear Itachi coughing. I clutched the sheets, he was getting worse. "Itachi…" I whispered in the dark before falling back into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

The next day Kisame took Michi to train so Itachi and I were in our room. This time I was the one who ran to the bathroom coughing up blood. Itachi came in and found me leaning against the sink for support. The pain in my chest was almost unbearable. I couldn't stop coughing. When I finally did I fell back into Itachi hardly able to breathe while clutching my chest, the pain was still there. When I could stand again I washed the blood off my face and turned back to Itachi who had a pained expression on his face. I knew what he was thinking. "It's not you fault." I said evenly.

"Yes, it is. If I had paid attention better you wouldn't have this." He said turning away.

I walked up to him and turned him towards me. "No it's not; I already told you I can't blame you."

"I know, but I still blame myself." He said and he turned to leave. I grabbed his arm.

"Don't," I said. "You can't blame yourself. It's no one's fault."

He sighed and I let go of his wrist. He went and sat on the bed, I sat next to him. "Why are you so forgiving?" He asked. "You're going to die because of me yet you won't blame me."

"Itachi, I'm a shinobi, I probably would have died early anyways." I answered.

"I wouldn't have let that happen." He muttered. I looked at him. Even if he seemed emotionless to everyone else I could always read him. He hated himself for giving me this disease.

I sighed. "Remember the day we met. I mean the very first time, not the time at the park."

He winced and I looked at him. He sighed. "You mean the time where you challenged me and lost so I called you lower class trash?" He asked.

"Yeah," I said. "I hated you so much. Actually, that's the reason I got into the academy when I did. By losing that fight made a promise to train even harder and I vowed to beat you one day. Well I did beat you eventually. Just not the way I had planned."

"Do you know why I went after you that day?" He asked me.

"No, I've always wondered though."

"I actually felt really bad after that fight. That's why I went after you. I wanted to show that I was sorry in some way. I never knew it would trigger such an unexpected chain of events. That's the whole reason I told you so much. I never meant what I said after that fight. It just came out without me thinking."

"I figured as much. No matter what family you were from you never seemed like that kind of person."

"Your skill level interested me as well considering what family you came from." He said brushing a stray lock of hair behind my ear. "I never believed what my father said about your family but it still seemed unlikely that someone of your skill would come from them."

"You know," I said. "There are myths that the lower class families actually used to be the highest, and the only reason they're lower now is because they were set up."

"Do you really believe those?" He asked.

"No," I replied. "I think it was just fated that we met."

"That does seem to be the case doesn't it?" He said looking at me. He put his fingers under my chin so I was looking into his eyes. "I think it was also fated that I fell in love with you." He said before softly kissing me.

When we pulled back I looked at him. "Yeah," I said. "I think it was." I leaned back against him. 'I guess all of this must have been fated.' I thought. 'Otherwise I wouldn't be hear right now, and neither would Michi.'


	13. Deadly Struggles and Sneaky Bastards

I was fucking pissed, and near tears. This was not funny at all, not to me and it sure as hell wouldn't be to him when I got hold of him. "KISAME!" I roared, "GIVE ME BACK THAT BRACELET!"

"Make me," He stuck his tong out at me. 'Where's Itachi when you need him?' I thought. "Why are you so protective of it anyways, did someone give it to you?" He asked with a smirk on his face. He was right about someone giving it to me, he just had the wrong person.

The only reason he got hold of it was because I fell asleep on the couch in the main room. You're probably wondering why Itachi didn't stop him. Well unfortunately for me, he was on a solo mission at the moment. When I woke up Kisame was dangling it above my head in a mocking sort of way, which is how we got here.

Kisame had no idea how much that bracelet meant to me, he probably didn't expect what happened next but I know that he was scared as hell for two reasons and both involved Itachi killing him.

First finally realizing I wasn't going to catch him to get it back I fell to my knees sobbing. That bracelet he took, yeah it was the one Michi gave me on my fifteenth birthday. Obviously that would be enough to scare him, remember the threat Itachi made to him.

The next one really scared him, the reason I was asleep in the main room was because I had been out there late into the night. I hadn't been back in mine and Itachi's room yet…my medicine is in our room, therefore I hadn't taken it yet today. I had been chasing Kisame for almost three hours and pushed myself over my limit to try and get my bracelet back.

Before the next thing happened he gave me my bracelet back begging me not to tell Itachi he made me cry. I had stopped crying and glared furiously at him. "Don't _ever_ touch this again, yes someone gave it to me, it was my_ friend_ Michi, my daughter's namesake!"

His eyes widened as he realized once again that assumptions had gotten him into trouble. He was about to walk away when he heard my wince. He turned around and saw me kneeling again clutching my chest. The pain was back and worse than before. 'No,' I thought. 'Not now, I won't give in.'

I was desperately trying not to cough because I knew if I did there would be blood with it. Madara still didn't know that I had the disease and I planed to keep it that way for a little longer.

However even though I stopped myself from coughing I couldn't stop the blood. I tasted the metallic taste in my mouth and a small trickle of blood ran down the corner of my mouth. Knowing I couldn't win, I gave in to the coughing fit.

I don't know if Kisame had seen the small trickle of blood, if he had, he didn't show it. I know he saw this though. I slowly brought my hand up to my mouth felt the blood before putting my hand over my mouth and violently coughing up blood. Kisame's eyes widened with an 'Oh fuck, Itachi is going to beat me, kill me, and send me to hell.' expression.

The pain was so severe I felt as though I could pass out. I didn't though; I just continued to cough until I was sure I had lost half of the blood in my body judging by the puddle and the lightheadedness I had gotten.

Finally I stopped and wiped the blood away from my mouth. I then looked at Kisame who now had a horrified 'What the hell was that?' expression on his face. "You are not to speak of this to anyone, got it?" I glared, he nodded. "Good." I slowly got up and went to mine and Itachi's room, tearing thing out of one of my drawers until I found what I was looking for.

I pulled out the plastic bottle and opened it quickly taking two pills out. I then ran to the bathroom and took them before returning to the room and collapsing on the bed…I passed out.

* * *

I awoke with my head on someone's lap with them stroking my hair. "I take it you're back then?" I asked opening my eyes to me Itachi's annoyed expression. "And that Kisame acted so nervous around you that you could tell something was wrong and scared him into telling you." He nodded and I sat up.

"You didn't kill him did you?" I asked.

"No but I stood by my promise, he won't be able to walk for at least a month." He said, and I let out a small laugh. "That could have killed you." He whispered.

I looked at him in shock, "W-what?"

"You over did it, and you didn't take your medicine until afterwards, the only reason I know that is because Kisame told me you fell asleep on the couch. Plus you left the bottle on the dresser." He said at my shocked expression, Kisame didn't know about the medication so it had scared me for a second. "Also," He continued. "You lost so much blood and chakra that you passed out. You're lucky you're still alive." His voice sounded strained when he said the last sentence.

"I know," I said. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to scare you."

"I think you scared Michi more, she's the one who found you passed out. Apparently she screamed so loudly the whole hideout heard…she thought you were dead."

I stared at him wide eyed. "She…what?" Itachi looked away. "Where is she?" He got up and left the room, when he came back Michi was following him. She ran up and hugged me. I hugged her back just as tightly. "Michi," I said. "I'm so sorry."

"I thought you were gone." She whimpered.

"I know," I whispered. "I know."

She pulled back from me and I pushed hair behind her ear. "I love you." I said.

"I love you, too mommy." She said and I smiled.

Itachi sat down next to us smiling. He put his arm around me and ruffled Michi's hair. "Dad!" She complained. Itachi and I just laughed; she was cute when she was annoyed.

* * *

The next day was a fairly normal day, aside of the fact Kisame would be stuck in the hospital ward for a while. We trained a bit but Michi got tired after a while and went to take a nap. Itachi and I returned to our room. "She's a lot stronger than we were at her age." I commented. Itachi nodded. "Anti-social freak." I muttered…he heard me.

"What was that?" He asked a smirk coming across his features.

"N-nothing!" I said a little too quickly.

He disappeared causing me to panic, he reappeared behind me. "Are you sure?" He whispered in my ear. "Because I know I heard something." I gasped when his hands slid down my exposed sides. Since we had been training I had put on a skirt that was slit up both sides with a pair of shorts on underneath and a shirt that cut off a little below my cleavage.

"Itachi," I growled. "back off."

"Why?" He asked nuzzling my neck causing me to shiver.

"I don't know how long Michi's going to sleep." I reasoned though I really didn't want him to stop.

"I checked her chakra before we came in, she'll be out for at least three hours."

'Damn,' I thought, as Itachi continued to slide down my neck. I gasped when he lightly bit the sensitive skin.

"So I think we're safe." He finished smirking. He let go of me for a second and I backed away from him…right into the wall. I cursed.

He walked up to me and put his hands on either side of me. I was trapped. He laughed at my horrified expression. "You're scared of me." He whispered in my ear, his lips barely touching it, as if teasing me. I shivered. "And you know something?" he asked bringing his hands down and drawing slow circles on my exposed hips. "You should be." I gasped when his hand slid down my inner thigh teasing me in a very cruel way. His smirk widened.

He brought his hands up to my stomach again slowly sliding them up to where my shirt started. He just traced the skin around the edges earning a glare from me. He then pulled it off.

I had had enough of this; I reached over and yanked his shirt off. He pushed me onto the bed. By now you should know what happend.

* * *

"You really should watch the insults; they might get you into trouble." Itachi teased later as I lay in his arms.

"The only person I have to worry about is you." I said lightly smacking his arm.

"That's what I was talking about." He whispered in my ear.

"Hmm," I said nuzzling closer to him. "Maybe I should piss you off more often then."

He smirked and looked over at the clock. "So much for that." He said and I looked at him confused. "If she's still asleep Michi's going to sleep straight through the night and her chakra's to faint for her to be awake."

"Good," I said. "I don't feel like moving." He smiled stroking my hair.

"You're lazy," He said and I glared at him. "But I love you."

My face softened. "Yeah well you're annoying," I said. "But I love you too." I smiled at him. I fell asleep against his chest.

* * *

Itachi and I were sent on another mission the next day and this time we could bring Michi. I scanned the mission scroll and saw that Michi's small size would come in handy since this was a C rank spy mission, nothing she couldn't handle. We left that afternoon, we returned that night exhausted. Turns out there were more guards than we though, that had been one hell of a fight. Good thing Michi's sharingan had finally fully activated, she defeated three of them herself, you should have seen there faces when she shot a fireball at them, priceless.

* * *

Zetsu, who had been spying on Orochimaru, came back with interesting news. Apparently Sasuke had gone off and joined the snake. Itachi didn't seem all that surprised; he knew that Sasuke had been seeking the power to destroy him and took the bait Orochimaru had cast out.

'Orochimaru may have caught a fish that's to hard to reel in though.' I thought. 'Oh well, I guess only time will tell. But why are we just now finding this out, according to Zetsu, he's been there for over a year.' I gasped in realization before exhaling in anger. 'Madara, that bastard.'


	14. Tailed Beasts and Death Threats

Later that night Itachi and I were in our room. "Itachi…"

"Hn,"

"How long have you known about Sasuke going to Orochimaru?"

"…For about a year." He replied looking away.

"Why didn't I know? You always tell me everything." My eyes narrowed. "Madara threatened you about me and Michi didn't he." He nodded. "Why would he care if I knew?"

"It's not so much that he cares about you knowing, he's afraid that if anything else distracts you you'll become useless to the organization." Itachi paused looking away as if deciding weather or not he should continue, finally he did. "He said that two dieing Uchihas aren't worth much to begin with."

I gasped and my head turned towards him, "He knows?" I asked clutching his shirt.

"Katerina," He said, "He's…known the whole time, he just didn't show it." Itachi looked away from me, not meeting my eyes.

I looked away as well. "How long have you known he knew?"

Itachi looked at me, but I continued to look down. "A month." He said quietly.

"Why didn't you say anything?" I whispered. He didn't answer, I looked at him. "Itachi…"

"Because…he said he'd kill Michi if I did. He said he needed something to use against you." Itachi looked down. "He has a different threat now, that's why I told you."

I got up and walked over to the wall…I punched it. I fell against it the tears finally starting to fall. Itachi came over to me, "It'll be okay." He said wrapping his arms around me.

* * *

The next day was fairly normal, however we got a message from leader-sama, we were going to resume the hunt for the tailed beasts soon.

That meant that Itachi and I were going to have to attempt to catch the Kyuubi again. However our first was Deidara and Sasori's target. The one tailed Shukaku, Gaara of the sand, Sunagakure's current Kazekage. So Itachi and I were safe for now.

However Zetsu said that Naruto had been training with the sannin Jiraiya for the last two-and-a-half years. He was bound to be much stronger now, but only time would tell that.

So as we had before Kisame, Michi, Itachi, and I prepared to leave once again, when we hunt the tailed beasts we can't stay at the hideout, it kind of sucks. But at least I don't have to be around Madara.

* * *

We left the hideout that night. However I didn't get to leave without having a run in with the devil himself…Madara. And the worst part, Itachi, Kisame and Michi already left. I told them I would catch up.

I tried to just ignore him and leave but I should have known I couldn't get away that easily. "Katerina." He said. I turned around.

"Yes?" I asked in a very angry manner.

"Watch where your loyalties lie, the consequences for betrayal are more than you could take." He warned.

"You're not my master, nor have you ever been." I seethed.

"Michi seems to be progressing very well." He said and I gasped. "However against me she's no stronger than a normal civilian. Your daughter's life lies in my hands, don't betray me Katerina, if you do, you'll regret it." And with those words he turned and left me standing there. When he was gone I fell against the wall, he was right, and if I did betray him, he wouldn't hesitate in killing her. After calming down, I went and met the others.

We traveled around looking for the four tails since the Kyuubi would have to wait. A couple months after we left word came from Pein, the Shukaku had been captured. We used the hologram jutsu to meet the rest of Akatsuki, the only ones who were actually there were Sasori and Deidara. We began the extraction.

Halfway through Zetsu said that leaf shinobi were heading our way. He said it was Might Gai and the rest of his team. Kisame volunteered to go because he needed to repay him for the kick he gave him. They used a new jutsu that allows you to appear as you but in another person's body, you also control all of the movements.

It turns out there were two teams, Zetsu said that this time a leaf shinobi should go, Itachi looked at me. "Go ahead," I said.

* * *

When there battles were finished Itachi and Kisame came back out of the trancelike state it puts them in. "You're done too?" Kisame asked.

"Yes, I ran out of chakra." Itachi replied.

"You two always have all the fun," I complained.

"That's because it's your job to watch Michi and make sure she doesn't go outside the barrier." Kisame said.

"Shut up," I said. "And Michi knows better that to…" I looked up and saw Michi dangerously close to the edge of the barrier, "MICHI GET OVER HERE!" My eyes widened and I turned to Kisame.

He smirked and said "Point proven."

"Kisame I swear to god if I didn't have to keep my hands like this I would kick your ass." I said.

"I'd like to see you try." I almost did lunge at him…almost. The last thing I needed was to get death threats from Pein as well, even though he less of a chance to follow through with them than Madara. Why did my life suck so much, who knows? Maybe that was just fated as well.

* * *

The extraction was a success, Itachi Kisame and I continued to travel. Itachi said that it had been team Kakashi who came looking for Gaara. That meant Naruto was back. However, we had just received word that the Kyuubi would have to be the last one to be caught, otherwise the statue would collapse.

So we continued to look for the four tails, every now and then getting a small lead on them. Things weren't progressing too quickly though. We just continued to wander, having to fight off ANBU and black ops every now and then.

Michi continued her training and Kisame and I continued to annoy the hell out of each other. "Fish stick!" I screamed. "Give me back my kunai pouch."

"Make me," He said. I growled.

"Kisame give it back to her." I turned and saw Itachi returning from his training with Michi.

Kisame mumbled "Bitch." Under his breath but dropped it none the less. Why did he have to be so tall?

* * *

That night I told Itachi about my run in with Madara, he wasn't happy.

"If he tries to lay a finger on you or Michi, I'll kill him." He said.

"Itachi, if you try that, he'll kill you." I replied softly.

"I don't care; you and Michi are worth more to me then my life."

"Itachi…" I sighed leaning into him. "Thank you."

"I love you Katerina, I know you know that."

"Yes," I said. "But I don't want you to die because of it."

He put his fingers under my chin so I would look at him. "Maybe," He said. "But if it meant saving you, I would give up my life any day." He leaned in and pressed his lips to mine, when we pulled apart he laid down and I lay with my head on his chest.

I sighed before saying "I love you too, which is why I wouldn't want to lose you."

"I know," He whispered stroking my hair. I fell asleep completely at peace. Even in a world as dark as this, someone always stands with a light for you to follow. I was lucky, I had two lights, Michi and Itachi, I loved them both.


	15. Unwanted Fights

We were attacked by black ops near the boarder of the land lightning. They were stronger than your average ninja to the point that Itachi and I had to use the mangekyou on them. Itachi over did it…again.

When we arrived at a shelter Michi went to train and Kisame left to somewhere. It left Itachi and I alone once again. I turned toward him.

"You over did it again!" I said annoyed. "You have to stop doing that or you're going to go completely blind!" Itachi didn't look at me.

"I know Katerina, but that is my choice." He replied.

"I already told you I don't want that to happen." He still didn't turn. "Itachi look at me."

"No," He said. I walked over and grabbed his arm, turning and forcing him to look at me.

I saw that his eyes were even more unfocused now. "Itachi can you even see my face anymore?" I asked, he didn't answer and looked away. I pulled back from him and starred in shock. "You can't, can you?" I asked, my voice quivering.

"No," He said softly. "I can hardly see anything more than outlines and shadows anymore Katerina."

"You've changed since I met you." I said, "Both for better and worse." He turned towards me and I could see shock in his eyes. "The Itachi I met wouldn't have given his eyes for me." I said a little seethingly, I wasn't happy about his condition.

His shock turned to anger quite quickly. "Well did you expect me to never change from that child Katerina?"

"No I just didn't expect you to get so stupid." I yelled.

"How this is stupid because I don't get how I changed for the better if that's worse."

I glared at him. "Because at least now your not so over reactive when you get mad."

"What do you mean?" He asked and I could see in his sharingan I shouldn't drag this on much further.

"You know as well as I do that when you got mad you tended to get violent. I had an experience of that myself in case you've forgotten."

"Katerina…" He warned. I knew I was getting close to a forbidden subject. I didn't care.

"Or did you forget what happened when I told you I knew about your 'covert' mission?" I asked, he turned faster then I thought possible and slammed me against the wall by my shoulders. I groaned in pain on the impact. His hands had such a firm grip on me it was all I could do to not wince and keep my furious expression. I looked him in the eye and said. "I take that back, you're still over reactive." His eyes widened for a second before he let me go and stormed out of the room…right past Kisame who was starring wide eyed mouth agape at the two of us. I figured he had probably been there the whole time, there's no way we would have noticed.

* * *

After Itachi left Kisame turned to me, my anger had passed and tears were now streaming down my face. That was the first fight Itachi and I had had in longer than I could remember.

"If you don't mind me asking, what happened between you and Itachi before you joined Akatsuki." I looked at him.

"I'm not telling the whole story though I promise to tell you someday, but I know you were there the whole time by your expression so I'll tell you what happened when he found out I knew of his mission. I had nearly forgotten it myself until this fight started." He nodded and I continued.

"Itachi and I were both ANBU in Konoha, him from age 12 and me from age 13. From the time I joined we were always called at the same time to the commander's office. One day he was called without me. I followed and eves dropped on their conversation." I stopped and sighed.

"That night Itachi's father called us and reminded us we were supposed to be spies for Uchiha. Itachi made the comment that he had other thing to do to keep his cover and his own mission was starting soon. When his father asked he said it was covert."

"That mission was the extermination of the clan. That what he had been called in alone for, when we returned to our room, I confronted him." Kisame looked at me funny when I said 'our room'. "I'll explain it another time." I said.

"His reply when I asked was the same, he said it was covert. I made a mistake by saying what I did next. I turned from him and asked 'are you going to kill me too?' He turned quicker than I thought he would." I stopped having the full memory come back I began to talk again.

* * *

Itachi turned and grabbed my neck pinning me to the wall, I looked at him with shock and fear in my eyes. He tightened his grip on my neck with each word he said next. "How do you know that? I just found out earlier, how could you know?" I could tell he was angry and his grip was getting to tight.

It finally got to the point where I couldn't breathe. I reached up and grabbed his wrist with one hand while the other tried to loosen his grip, but to no prevail. "Itachi…" I squeaked out, I had never been more afraid of him in my life. He looked at me and his eyes widened as if realizing what he was doing, he loosened his grip but didn't let go.

I told him I had eves dropped on his meeting and he let go. We talked and I comforted him. However, after he was asleep I lay awake thinking. I was still a little shaky, Itachi had never turned on me like that before and I was scared. I could only hope it never happened again.

* * *

Kisame looked at me as I finished, it seemed all I could do was shock him and all he could do it piss me off. Oh well, that's just the way things were. Suddenly a voice from the door said "And it never did happen again, did it?"

I turned and saw Itachi there, he still didn't look happy. "Not until today." I said glaring at him.

"Kisame leave." Itachi said and Kisame just stood there as if deciding whether or not he should. "Now!" Kisame bolted from the room faster than I thought possible.

"You're a bastard." I said and Itachi turned on me. "It's true and you are stupid, you always give too much." He came at me and I caught his wrist. "Honestly going to try that again?" He disappeared and I turned around in time to block his attack. "I know all of your moves Itachi."

"Not all of them." He said before disappearing again. I turned and couldn't figure out where he went. I looked up and he wasn't there either. Suddenly I felt someone jerk my arms into a hold behind me causing me to wince before slamming me onto the ground and pinning me. I lifted my head and was about to jerk out when I felt something cold and sharp come up to my neck, a kunai. I stopped.

"You can never assume you know all of someone's moves Katerina, I could easily kill you right now." He said. As if to make a point he slid the flat side of the kunai over my throat. I let out a shaky breath. He was really scaring me at the moment. "You still make stupid mistakes Katerina." He whispered in my ear. I tried to pull away from him and I felt the kunai slide over the side of my neck past my thin shirt strap and down my arm before it was pulled away.

Finally he got off of me but still held my arms. "Itachi, let go of my arms." I tried to keep my voice even but it cracked at the end. He jerked away and grabbed my shoulders turning me toward him. I looked away but he moved his hand to my face and made me look at him. I was crying again but this time from fear.

"Katerina…" He moved to brush hair from my face but I pushed him away.

"Don't touch me." I seethed and he pulled back. I knew I had hurt him but he had hurt me more, and more than once in more ways than he knew. He left and I sat down feeling hurt and alone.


	16. Apologies and Kidnappings

I continued to try and avoid talking to Itachi. I still hadn't forgiven him. When Michi came back she could see that something had happened but didn't ask. I had no idea how to fix this. For days we stayed like this…it didn't get fixed until about two weeks later.

Itachi is the only person I can talk too about the fact that I hate the Akatsuki's plans. Anyone else would tell Pein who would tell Madara. I finally talked to him again. I have no idea how many times he has apologized but I finally forgave him a little bit. Not completely though.

I hated going after the tailed demons. Itachi and I usually tried to stall our mission. Truth be told I had a habit of disobeying Madara's rules one way or another. I never thought he would find out.

Michi would normally go and train by herself now that her skills were higher. She could take out ANBU by herself so I didn't worry. But one day…she didn't come back. Obviously I went out looking for her. There was a clearing near by where she would usually go…she wasn't there.

There was a kunai imbedded in one of the trees. It had a note attached to it…

Katerina,

I warned you to watch where your loyalties lie or pay the price. I also told you that to me, Michi is no stronger than a normal civilian. If you want her back then come to the hideout alone. I'll know if Itachi comes with and for that Michi will pay the price. I have something I want you to do for me.

-Madara

I gasped and fell on my knees. 'But how,' I thought. 'How did he find out?'

* * *

Itachi came out looking for me. He found me like that and ran over. "Katerina, what's wrong." Even though I probably shouldn't have, I gave him the note. He read it and then became very angry. "I'll kill him." He said.

"You're not coming with." I told him. "He told me to come alone and I can handle myself."

"Katerina…" He started.

"No!" I cut him off. "I'm going alone. Madara has messed with me for the last time."

"Katerina, just be careful." He said wrapping his arms around me.

"I will." I said leaning against him. If this didn't fix things, I didn't know what would. Madara that bastard, he crossed the line this time.

* * *

I traveled back to rain quickly without stopping. When I got there, I ignored the stares of Hidan and Kakazu who were there for some reason and ran down to the 'forbidden' room I knew to belong to Madara. I knocked and he opened the door. When I walked in I turned. "You bastard where's my daughter!"

He looked at me. "Safe," He said. "for now anyways."

I tried not to break, "What do you want?" I asked.

"I want you to stop betraying me. You had the choice to back out of Akatsuki and chose not to."

"Oh please, if I had backed out you would have just killed me."

"Seems you were smarter than Itachi was back then, but now it isn't your life that you're gambling." He replied.

"Give me back my daughter."

"Fine, but first…" He disappeared and next thing I knew there was a sever burning on my back, and then the top of my left arm. I fell to my knees in pain blood pooling around me. "Let this be a reminder not to betray me again." He said and I glared.

I put my cloak back on to hide the wounds from Michi when she came out. I would get him back, somehow. I made that vow.

* * *

We walked out and Hidan and Kakazu starred even more now that I had Michi. And judging by Kakazu's expression, he could see the blood that would drip from me every now and then. I gave them a glare that said 'Say anything and die; I don't care how immortal you are.'

* * *

I got back to Itachi and Kisame. Itachi could tell something was wrong because by now I was ready to collapse from pain and blood loss. He took Michi and told her he was glad she was safe then turned to Kisame. He gave that look that said take her for a few minutes and don't ask questions. Kisame nodded and left. Itachi turned to me.

"What's wrong?" He asked with a look that said you better tell me now.

"You can't freak out, promise?" He nodded and I sighed before taking my cloak off to reveal my now blood soaked clothes. He could see my arm and I turn so he could see the deep gash in my back. I looked back at him and he looked like he was restraining from running to rain that instant. "Itachi?"

"Madara's going to pay." Was all he said before walking over to me and removing my shirt. I was to worn to protest. I could feel his chakra on my wound on my back. I was having trouble keeping consciousness now.

When he finished healing my arm he stepped back. "Better?" He asked and I nodded. He sighed. "He didn't hurt Michi did he?" Itachi asked.

"No," I said. "he didn't hurt her _this_ time."

"He will never hurt her if I have a say in it."

I let out a small laugh. I knew that this would fix thing between us. "He'll kill you before you _said_ anything."

He pulled me into him. "Hey Itachi, could you give me another shirt." I asked. He already had one and gave it to me. I put it on and said. "I'm sorry I was ignoring you."

"It's fine. I deserved what I got." Was his reply, and I leaned back against him. He stroked my hair and I fell asleep.

* * *

When I woke up, Kisame was standing over us and I realized I had slept against Itachi's chest again. "I take it you two made up then." Kisame asked smirking.

"Yeah, now leave me alone." I said leaning back down and shutting my eyes.

"I don't feel like it."

"Kisame…" I warned.

"What are you going to do?" He asked.

"Kisame don't provoke her." I looked up and saw Itachi was awake.

"Fine." Kisame mumbled walking away. I smirked and looked at Itachi.

"You were awake the whole time." I said lightly slapping his arm.

"Yes but I didn't fell the need to intervene until you were ready to kill him." Itachi said.

"You're a jerk Uchiha." I said.

"Yes but you love this jerk." He said leaning down and kissing me.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and he held me against him. "Can we just stay here?" I asked and he smirked.

"Not now." He said. "Maybe later."

"What if I can convince you?" I asked.

"I doubt you can do that." He said pushing me off.

"Fine, but you owe me."

I got up and walked away. He came up behind me. "I think I can repay you pretty well." He said nipping my ear. I shuddered.

"D-don't t-tease me." I stuttered and he smirked.

"Fine then I won't." He said pushing me against the wall and kissing his way down my neck. I gasped when he lightly bit the skin.

"Sometimes I really hate you Itachi." I said.

"No you don't." He said slipping his hands up my shirt. I glared and pulled his off.

"Yes I do, and I will get you back." I said and I dragged my hands down his chest. I felt his muscles tense. "Though I don't think that will be hard." I said.

Itachi pulled my shirt off and his mouth returned to my neck. He slowly dragged his hands down my back and I moaned. "I think I have more control over you."

"You wish," I said leaning and biting his neck. He stiffened before glaring. "Now you know how I feel." I said smirking.

My smirk soon fell however when I saw the look in his eyes. He was done messing around. Itachi grabbed my wrists and pushed me into the wall again before biting and licking his way down my neck. I was struggling against his hold trying desperately to not give him the reaction he desired. He soon bit down on a spot he knew was particularly sensitive and I let out a small scream. He licked around it causing me to tremble uncontrollably.

"Give in and I'll stop." He said smirking at my pleasurably torchered expression.

"Never." I panted.

"Fine." He said going back to my neck and pushing me onto the bed. I finally gave in unable to hold in my moan when he dragged his hands down my back once again. He smirked in satisfaction and continued.

* * *

"Have I ever told you how much I hate you?" I asked later laying against his chest.

"No, but you have said that you love me." He replied.

"Oh that's right." I said. "Well I don't always."

"Whatever Katerina, you're a child."

"Shut up Itachi."

We got up and Kisame looked like he was scarred. Oops, my bad. Oh well, he deserved it.

We got another lead on the four tails and left to find it. This was going to be a long few weeks. Especially since at some point I was going to have to stop back in rain, I was running out of pills. Oh well, let the hell begin.


	17. Memories, Bets, and Payback

We continue our search for the four tails, heading towards the land of waves. Itachi and I were talking again and Michi was back so for now things were okay. However I knew that I would have to go back to rain sometime soon to get more of my medication. Madara was the only one who could get it.

We stopped for the night and Kisame took Michi to find food. Itachi and I were left to set up camp. "Have you noticed Kisame always takes Michi instead of one of us?" I asked.

I felt arms wrap around me from behind. "That's because he knows I would kill him if he separated us." Was Itachi's reply.

I laughed, "Like you'd care." I said and he leaned against me more. I felt a cool metal fall onto my shoulder. Ii looked and saw Itachi's three ringed necklace. "You still wear it?" I asked.

"Why wouldn't I? You're the one who gave it to me."

"Yeah, but still." I said.

"You're one to talk." He said taking the ring I still wore around my neck. "You've worn this since you were eight."

"No, I lost it once, remember?"

"And I found it. You were looking everywhere for it as well. You can't live without it." He teased.

"Shut up Uchiha, you still wear yours, too." I said. "You have since you were ten."

"Fair enough." He said letting me go. "Besides, it's the only thing I have left from then."

"Yeah, me too." I said. We then continued to set up camp.

* * *

Kisame returned with Michi a while later. I was lying against Itachi half asleep. Kisame approaching startled me. "Am I ever going to see two more than a few inches apart?" Kisame asked.

I glared at him. "Probably not, so shut it fish stick."

"I bet you couldn't keep your hands off each other for more than twenty-four hours." He said smirking.

"I bet we could last two weeks." I said sitting up and glaring.

"How much?"

"Three-hundred ryo." I said.

"Deal." We shook on it. I didn't realize how stupid that was until afterward when he said the rules. No physical contact at all. That included sleeping in the same bed or anywhere near enough to touch. 'I'm going to die.' I thought.

Kisame no longer left us alone, now he went with Itachi instead of Michi. It had been all of two days and I was ready to jump off a cliff, and not just because Itachi and I couldn't touch each other either. There was another reason I would sleep with Itachi at night. In the two nights since we made the bet I had shot up muffling my screams every night. Nightmare plagued me when I slept alone, and Itachi knew this. He was going to hate me again when this was over for making him worry.

Although I had already come to the conclusion that I was going to owe Kisame some money soon, he was right, I couldn't live like this. Plus I didn't want Itachi to hate me forever. I was going to break it tomorrow if I had another nightmare.

Well if you don't already know I had another one. 'Ah screw the bet.' I thought when I woke up again. I got up and walked over to Itachi. I wasn't surprised that he was awake. He looked at me knowingly.

"I give up." I whispered. He moved over and I slipped underneath the blanket with him. I laid my head on his chest and he put his arm around me. I slept better than I had in three days.

* * *

I woke up to Kisame laughing. "I knew you couldn't do it." He mocked. I shot up and glared my eyes still blood shot from not sleeping in three days. I had only gotten half a night of decent sleep. Kisame must have just realized that because his face fell. "That was you screaming halfway through the night weren't it?" He asked me and I nodded. "I didn't realize you would have nightmares if you were alone, you don't have to pay me."

"Thank you Kisame." I said laying my head down and falling back asleep for a little while more. I woke up a couple hours later not completely rested but good enough. I knew we had to get moving.

* * *

We had information reach us soon after we left. Seems I was right about Orochimaru. Sasuke finally beat the snake. The snake targeted a helpless baby bird in a nest, unknown to him that that bird was a hawk, ready to take to the skies.

However Itachi and I knew he hadn't really killed him. He had just sealed Orochimaru's chakra into his own body. Also Akatsuki was having other problems. Hidan, Kakazu, and Sasori were all dead, therefore the bijuu sealing was taking longer than usual. Not only that, Deidara was trying to go after Sasuke. Itachi and Deidara were already on bad terms with each other. This wasn't going to help. Ugh, Itachi should have killed him when he had the chance. I don't care what Pein said.

Either way this wouldn't have ended well. Itachi knew Sasuke would win but Deidara still annoyed him. I figured only time would tell.

* * *

Kisame started leaving Itachi and I alone again finally. He left with Michi and as soon as they were gone I turned to Itachi. I could see in his eyes the longing. I walked over and wrapped my arms around his neck. "I missed this." I whispered.

"Me too." He replied pressing his lips to mine. One of my hands weaved into his hair and the other stayed wrapped around his neck. His hands rested on the small of my back and between my shoulder blades. We stayed together until the need for oxygen became too great. "I love you." He said brushing hair from my face.

"I love you, too." I replied nuzzling into his neck. His arms stayed wrapped around me and I stayed against his neck until I got a rather evil idea. I smirked before kissing his neck. He stiffened.

"Katerina…" He warned but I didn't listen. I lightly bit him before sucking his skin lightly. He grasped at the arm I had draped over his shoulder. I could tell he was fighting the feeling. I moved and kissed him harder before sucking again. He let out a groan and I pulled back.

"See, not so fun when you're the one being tortured, is it?" I asked smirking. He grabbed me so that I was lying backwards against one arm while his other held me down. My head was tilted back and clearly exposed. I could feel his breath against my skin and I shivered.

"You enjoy pushing luck, don't you Katerina." He asked leaning closer and I knew he was going to torture me until I couldn't take it anymore.

"No! Itachi please don't, all those times you did it to me. It was only payback. AH!" I shut my eyes with the sensation that went through me. His mouth had come down on a very sensitive spot. Itachi knew all my weak points. This wasn't going to be fun. The hand that wasn't keeping me from falling came up and his fingers stroked down the side of my neck and down my collar bone. I bit my lip to muffle the moan. I would not give him what he wanted.

"You're really going to fight me? Fine, we'll see how much you can handle." Itachi unbuttoned and removed my cloak, leaving me in a red tube top and black shorts. He smirked when he saw my outfit. "You make things so easy Katerina." He said trailing his hand down my stomach. I squirmed trying to pull away but he tightened his hold on me. "I'm not done yet." He whispered into my ear.

"You are if I have a say in it." I said finally pulling away from him. "Nice try Itachi." I smirked at him but he just pointed behind me. Next thing I knew I was pinned to a tree.

"Watch your surroundings Katerina." He approached me and I gave in, there was no use in fighting him.

Itachi finally stopped when we heard someone scream, "Ah! My eyes!" And turned to see Kisame. He had one hand over Michi's eyes and one over his own.

"See Itachi you should have just left me alone." I told him.

He simply said "Hn," but then appeared behind me suddenly. "Don't pretend you didn't like it." He whispered. "Because judging by the noises you were making, you did." I shivered at his words as he walked away. Itachi always got his point across, always.


	18. The Start of the End

The sky was dark, really dark. "Looks like rain." Kisame said.

"More like a storm to me." Itachi replied.

"Let's take shelter in the trees, besides, I need to contact leader-sama." Kisame said.

"Yeah, plus it cold out here." I said and Itachi nodded.

Kisame picked up the four-tails jinchuriki with his Samahada. Itachi looked at Kisame, "He's dying." He said.

"Yeah," I said. "You should handle the elderly with care."

"Easy for you to say, since you don't know him." Kisame said. "The corrosion jutsu of this jinchuriki is nothing to laugh about. But you probably can't understand my pain having not battled him directly."

"Humph,"

"Well I guess I was the one who insisted on going alone." He continued. "Shall I take care of your little objective as well?"

"Settle down Kisame." Itachi said.

"Sorry, I'm a little tired. I just want to get these hunts over with so I can get some rest." Kisame said.

"There's no rush, rest now. Otherwise, it's bound to be a while."

"I wonder about that. There are only a few left aren't there?" Kisame continued. "Leader-sama says the nine-tails has to come last or it'll disrupt the balance, but why can't we capture him now and keep him until it's time? He has to be captured alive anyway."

"Heh, I really don't care either way, but Deidara failed at it. It we're sealing him last we might as well hunt him last." Itachi said.

"Yeah, besides, we've attracted too much attention already." I said. "If we were to capture the nine-tails it would only rile Konohagakure more."

"Oh, you think so?" Kisame asked.

"Konoha has strong alliances with other nations." I continued. "If word got out that the nine-tails was captured, it would just make our jobs harder."

"So for now we should capture the other eight as quickly as possible." Michi said and the three of us starred at her wide eyed. "What? It's not like you guy are quiet about it. I can figure things out."

'Wow,' I thought. 'My seven year old daughter just finished my thoughts for me.'

"Well if you put it that way…" Kisame was cut off when our rings began glowing.

"Good timing," Itachi said putting up a barrier. We then did the proper hand signs and met with leader and the others.

* * *

"You're late." Leader-sama said.

"We just captured a jinchuriki, we had to tie him up and make sure he couldn't get away." Kisame said.

"Okay then, we're all here now." Leader said.

"Hmm, but I don't see Hidan or Kakazu." Kisame said.

"That's because they're dead."

"I see, so even those two zombies were mortal huh. I'd love to see how they died."

"Don't talk about your comrades like that."

"Who did it?"

"Konoha ninja, Kakashi and that nine-tails jinchuriki's cell again." Zetsu said.

"They sure are strong that cell, no wonder Deidara got pummeled by them." Tobi said.

"Tobi!" Deidara yelled. "Just keep running your mouth, you'll push me to my limit."

"Your limit? You mean you'll get explosive? So temperamental." Tobi continued.

"Why you uncultured little…just you keep yapping, un."

"Calm yourself Deidara, your only proving Tobi right. And Tobi you always say too much, respect your seniors." Leader said.

"Yes sir, sorry sir." Tobi said.

"Are we really going to capture the remaining jinchuriki like this?" I asked.

"Well…" Leader started but Kisame cut him off.

"More importantly, I'd like to get the four tails sealed immediately."

"Hold on Kisame I'm not done yet." Leader said.

"What is it?"

"There was another killed, Orochimaru."

"It's been ten years since he left; whoever finished him saved us a lot of trouble." Kisame said. "But they had have held immense power. Who did it?"

"Sasuke Uchiha." Replied leader.

"But I'd sworn to slaughter Orochimaru, un." Deidara said angerly.

"Heh, Itachi's little brother, eh. Apple sure doesn't fall far from the tree." Kisame said.

"He's in the process of putting a cell of his own together, troublesome shinobi each one of them." Zetsu said.

"Meaning?" Kisame asked.

"Meaning someone you ought to remember, one of the Hozuki brothers." Leader said.

"Must be Suigetsu, that's a name I haven't heard in a while."

"And bipolar Jugo, be careful Kisame, Itachi, Katerina. Odds are, you're their targets." Leader said. "And the rest of you keep them in mind as well. They my come after you looking for information on Kisame, Itachi, and Katerina."

Deidara asked what Suigetsu was like and Kisame explained. "Hmm, they all sound quite interesting, un." Was all he said.

We continued traveling to the meeting place with the four-tails. Kisame wanted to hurry up with the sealing. We arrived and the sealing began. When it was completed Deidara spoke to Tobi. "Where to now, un? Nine-tails jinchuriki lead by Kakashi or Sasuke Uchiha." Itachi looked over when he said that.

"How about neither? We've completed our objective." Tobi said.

"Are you kidding me? I still owe nine-tails jinchuriki for that beating he gave me, and Kakashi for taking my right arm, un. And I can't forgive Sasuke Uchiha for denying me Orochimaru either, un." Itachi looked at Deidara as he spoke this. "Come on, Tobi."

"Whaaaaaaaat?" Tobi asked before fading away.

"You okay with that Itachi?" Kisame asked. Itachi remained expressionless while I had to turn away. Sasuke wasn't my brother, but he had always been close to me before that night.

* * *

We stayed on the sealing statue for a while before Zetsu came back. "Deidara's dead, but at least he went out with a bang."

"Yes but it cost us another member, and I always thought he was one of the stronger ones." Kisame said. "So who did him in? Sasuke, or the nine-tails jinchuriki."

"Sasuke, however..." Itachi and I looked over at Zetsu. "…it appears Sasuke has died as well." Itachi look rather sad at this, however, I knew it was because of the path Sasuke had chosen. Sasuke wasn't dead and we both knew it.

"So Deidara took him with him, huh?" Kisame asked.

"You should be grateful Itachi. Deidara sacrificed his life to save to save you a lot of trouble." Pein said.

"Hmm, feels like we're forgetting something." Kisame said.

"Seems Tobi has died too, Deidara blew himself up without any regard for his partner." Zetsu said.

"Oh right, Tobi, I'm surprised that escape artist couldn't get away, must've been some jutsu." Kisame said.

"He is easy enough to replace, Deidara on the other hand was a terrible loss." Pein said.

"And yet Tobi managed to lighten the mood of this gloomy organization. He was talented in his own way." Kisame said.

"I must go, let us try to mourn Deidara quietly." Pein said fading away.

* * *

After hearing the outcome of Deidara's fight we merely traveled around though Itachi and I did go back to rain at one point to get some more medication. While we were there I got sick, 'I must have caught something.' I thought, 'Kisame was right I should have stayed out of the rain.'

We continued traveling after that, however I remained sick. 'Damn, I must have gotten something bad.'

The rain never stopped and we traveled for days. We stopped in a cave eventually. "It's not letting up." Kisame said. "You know, a storm like this is rare this time of year. Huh?" Itachi walked out into the rain. "You're going to catch something if you stay out in this. Man Itachi, you're so cold even I can't read you. From where I'm standing, it looks as though you're crying." I looked over at Itachi. That explained why he walked into the rain. "Hey, I'm sorry about you're little brother, Seems you three are the only Uchiha left."

"No," Itachi said. "He's not dead, and besides…"

"What do you mean?"

"…seems the storm, has finally passed."

* * *

We continued to move even after all of that, however I knew Itachi's health was now rapidly deteriorating, and that Sasuke was on the move looking for him. The time was drawing near. Though I knew my health wasn't in the best shape either. I coughed slightly. My life was about to become more hellish than it already was.

Itachi said he had to do something one day and I knew it involved the upcoming events. I told Kisame to watch Michi and keep his mouth shut. I quietly followed Itachi. I knew he was looking for Naruto Uzumaki.

I also knew Naruto was looking for Sasuke. Itachi showed himself and turned towards Naruto's location. "Come on out, Naruto Uzumaki."

"Let me guess, you're here to capture me." Naruto said.

"No," Itachi said. "I just want to talk." Two shadow clones came out of the trees and Itachi drew two kunai from his cloak, taking the two out perfectly.

"Yeah right," Was Naruto's reply. "Like I'd ever trust you."

"Didn't granny Chiyo teach you anything about the sharingan? You're her alone, you're supposed to run."

"Whatever! I can be any number from one to one-thousand. Besides why would I want to run? If I capture you, I'll get to see Sasuke again!"

Itachi was silent for a moment before saying, "You're obsessed with my brother, but why? He's gone rough, abandoned his village and his friends."

"We may not be blood." Naruto said. "But he's more of a brother to me than you are to him."

Itachi smiled slightly at these words. Naruto charged and I activated my sharingan realizing Itachi was using genjutsu. He pulled his cloak aside and crows appeared. "You're already within my genjutsu. I'll say it again, I just want to talk."

"You want to bring sasuke back don't you? But what if he doesn't want to go?" Itachi asked.

"I'll do whatever it takes to bring him back!"

"By force if necessary, eh?" Itachi asked. "If all goes well and Sasuke goes quietly, that's one thing. But what if it's the opposite?"

"What do you mean?"

"You said you thought of Sasuke as a brother. Well, I'm asking what you would do if Sasuke attacked Konoha." Itachi replied

"What? Why would Sasuke…? He'd never do that!"

"Sasuke is still pure. He could easily be colored by anything. If that should happen, would you be able to stop him?" Itachi asked. "Even if it meant killing him? Could you weigh Sasuke's life against Konoha?"

"I'd protect Konoha! And find a way to stop Sasuke without killing him!"

"You're such a child. You talk of nothing but pipe dreams. There are times when a ninja must make painful choices." Itachi said.

It looked as if this triggered some memories in Naruto. "Someone said the same thin to me before. But there's no choice, I won't bend my words. That's what being a ninja means to me."

Itachi smiled for real at this, and then made Naruto eat a crow. I knew what he had done before he spoke it. "I've given you some of my power. I hope the day never comes when you have to use it."

"Wh-what do you mean? You're after me, aren't you? Then why not take me now?"

"I'm going now. I have something more important to do." Itachi disappeared in a flock of crows. I knew he was going to meat Sasuke, the time was drawing near. I stepped to leave and snapped a twig. Naruto twisted back around. I stepped out of the shadows and he when into a fighting stance.

"I don't want to fight you anymore than Itachi did." I said.

"You-you're that girl. You were traveling with them. Why are you here if you don't want to fight? I thought I was a target!"

"You are, I however have no intentions of capturing you, nor does Itachi. Believe me, if he wanted you captured, you'd be locked away in an Akatsuki base right now."

"Then why are you here?" He asked again.

I turned away from him and looked towards the sky before talking. "Something terrible is drawing near, and Itachi's time is short. I wanted to know where he was going first, for I know where he left to." I looked over my shoulder at him. "Heed my words, Naruto Uzumaki, a great war is on the horizon, be prepared." I looked forward and began walking away "I must go, I have already said too much." With those words, I went back to where Kisame was waiting.


	19. The Last Time

Itachi returned later that night. Kisame and Michi were already asleep. I was leaning against the cave opening when he returned. "Why did you follow me Katerina?" He asked, not looking at me.

"I already knew what your final destination was. I wanted to know where you were going first." I looked up at the night sky. "The time is drawing near." I whispered. I looked back at Itachi. "When?" I asked sadly.

He sighed. "Three days, at the old Uchiha hideout. It is already set."

I fell back against the wall. "Itachi…" I whimpered. "I-I'm not ready to lose you." I sobbed. He came over and wrapped his arms around me. I cried into him for who knows how long.

Itachi held my against him until my crying slowed a little. I felt him pry my left hand from his shirt and slide something onto my finger. I stopped and looked at it. On my ring finger was a silver ring with the Uchiha symbol designed on the top. I looked up at Itachi. "I'm sorry Katerina, if only…"

I embraced him. "I know Itachi, I know." I sighed. "I love you."

"I love you, too." He whispered.

I remembered something I found out. "Hey, Itachi?" He looked at me. "I…never mind, it's not important." He looked at me oddly before walking back inside, I followed. 'Why me? I'll have to tell him before…' I couldn't finish my thought.

* * *

The next three days went by to quickly. Itachi spent a lot more time with Michi than usual, knowing what was to come. I however mostly stayed back and watched. Until the last day, that's when I went out with them. "You're getting really good Michi." Itachi said.

I nodded and Michi kept throwing kunai at the target. I walked over to Itachi. "What am I supposed to tell her?" I asked him.

"I don't know Katerina, I honestly don't." He replied. I leaned against him and he put his arm around me. "Our lives have been screwed up from the start, yet both of our ends are drawing near."

"When we're gone, hopefully we'll find the peace we've always been looking for." I said and Itachi nodded. We went back to watching Michi.

* * *

That night Michi and Kisame were asleep while I lie awake. "Itachi…" I knew he was awake.

"Hn,"

"I already know you plan on taking Kisame to make sure Sasuke's team doesn't follow. I want you to wake me up tomorrow. If you don't, I'll hate you for all eternity."

"Katerina…" He started and I cut him off.

"Itachi, promise me."

He sighed. "Fine."

"Good," I replied before snuggling into him. I finally fell asleep.

* * *

I swear the morning came too fast. I got up with the others. "Where are you going to keep Michi?" Itachi asked me.

"There's a clearing a safe distance away, I plan on keeping her there. Madara will be busy trying to keep Naruto's team away, and on the battle. By the time he has the chance to go after her, I'll have gotten back and left." I replied.

He nodded. Kisame went to where he was supposed to. I took Michi to the clearing and then went to the Uchiha hideout.

"This is it." I said sadly.

"It's been seventeen years since we met. And now this is the end." He replied.

I embraced him. "I wish it didn't have to end like this."

"So do I." He said.

I looked at him. I wanted to tell him, but I figured it would only make things worse. I pulled back. "Sasuke will be here soon, I should go." I turned to leave but he pulled me back into him.

"You're hiding something from me, something I already know." He said.

I sighed. "Why am I not surprised."

"So Konan was wrong. What do you think it is this time?" He asked.

"Yeah, she was wrong. And this time I'm hoping it's a boy." I said. His hand came over my stomach. "I wasn't going to tell you because I figured it would just make things harder. Then again I should have known you knew."

"Katerina…" I looked at him and he kissed me. All of the emotions we held bottled up inside came out in this kiss. "I love you." He finished.

"I love you, too." I said. I suddenly had a familiar chakra come to my senses. "Sasuke's coming."

"Goodbye, Katerina. I'm so sorry." He said.

"Don't be, I knew it was coming. Goodbye Itachi I'll always love you no matter what." I said.

"I'll always love you as well." He said, those were the last words he ever spoke to me.

* * *

I watched the battle from afar. I knew Zetsu was watching as well. I could sense his chakra.

I could here them by upping my senses using chakra. Itachi was still bating Sasuke by telling him of Madara. I knew they were only exchanging genjutsu for the time being, but didn't bother activating my sharingan to see. I would see enough come the time.

He also explained how the mangekyou sharingan causes blindness. Telling Sasuke that he was a means for Itachi getting sight back, saying Sasuke was his new light. I knew they were all meaningless lies.

I couldn't hear the entire conversation, although Itachi must have gone into how reality isn't always as it seems, because all I heard was Sasuke say, "Your reality…is death."

Itachi used the tsukuyomi. I couldn't see what he showed Sasuke but Sasuke broke free of it. I knew Itachi had allowed him to. Finally they went to use ninjutsu, Itachi began weaving the signs for amaterasu but Sasuke threw a windmill shirekin at him. He used the shadow shirekin technique and Itachi dodged it. Sasuke however, had the shirekin rigged. One of the blades embedded itself in Itachi's thigh. I had to look away when he tore it out. I looked back and could tell the wound split more when he stood up.

Sasuke used the fireball technique and chidori but Itachi dodged. Itachi then wove signs for the fireball technique. Sasuke did the same and Itachi wound up using the amaterasu to beat the fire.

Sasuke ran from the amaterasu but it caught him. Itachi knelt by his body but it melted away. Itachi began coughing. This was going to end soon. Sasuke had used the Orochimaru style substitution to get away. He then shot fire up threw the roof. Itachi's arm got caught in the blast. Sasuke had run out of chakra. He said he had just one last jutsu. Itachi accused him of lying since he was out of chakra. Sasuke used the storm he had created for a lightning technique. He said it was called Kirin.

This technique hit Itachi dead on and Sasuke thought he had won. Itachi however spoke. "Is this what you saw, when you pictured my death?"

"You truly have gotten stronger Sasuke. I assure you if it weren't for this, I would be dead. This is susano'o, the one other jutsu awakened in my eyes." Itachi said.

Sasuke was so blinded by rage that he released Orochimaru. Itachi used totsuka blade to seal him away forever. "This is it, Sasuke."

Itachi stood up but stopped suddenly gripping at his chest he fell to his knees coughing up blood. He returned to his feet and began walking towards Sasuke. Sasuke threw all of his remaining weapons at Itachi but the yata mirror shield repelled all of them. Sasuke backed himself into a wall but just as Itachi seemed about to take his eyes, he tapped his fore head.

I could hear his final words. "Forgive me, Sasuke…this is the end." I turned as Itachi fell to the ground. It was over. He was gone.

* * *

I went back to Michi unable to stop my crying. I was through hiding things from her, plus I could feel the blood rising in my throat. "Mom," Michi said. "Dad's not coming back is he?" I shook my head. "I knew it." She said.

It was then that I fell to my knees unable to hold the blood down. Michi honestly didn't seem surprised about me coughing up blood either. "You knew." I said and she nodded. I should have known as much. She was my daughter. I mean how many times did I discover things I shouldn't have.

"Michi, I need your help. I won't be able to fight as well anymore, since you're going to have a little brother or sister. I need your help protecting me, can you do that?" I asked and she nodded. "Come on, we're not going back to the Akatsuki. Madara will have my head now that Itachi's gone. The only person we'll have contact with is Konan and maybe Kisame. It all depends." Michi and I began walking towards who knows where. All we knew was we needed to get far away from the Akatsuki. Itachi was no longer here to protect us.


	20. The Past Returns

Michi and I traveled away from the Akatsuki. However, as time passed the inevitable came to mind. I owed Kisame an explanation on my and Itachi's past, and there was one more thing I had to check, Madara took Itachi's body and Itachi had promised to give me something when he was gone. The problem was, he was wearing it. I would have to return to the Akatsuki one last time, and soon at that.

I finally made up my mind to head back now. Trusting Michi to stay out of trouble I left her in a clearing and headed back for the Akatsuki. When I got there Madara was waiting. He looked at me and through that one eye hole I could tell he had an evil smirk on his face. "Come to say goodbye to your lover?" he asked. I glared at him, my eyes still slightly red from crying. His smirk darkened more.

"Fuck off Madara." I spat. He glowered.

"It was smart for you not to bring Michi. Itachi can't protect you two anymore." He said the last part darkly.

I walked over to Itachi's corpse and reached around his neck undoing the clasp to the necklace I had given him. I took it off and put it around my neck with the ring he had given me. "Goodbye." I whispered.

I turned and Madara was gone, instead Kisame was there. "You're leaving." It wasn't a question.

"I have to. Pein will likely kill me and Michi both without Itachi here." I replied. "I made a promise to tell you my past one day. You can hold me to it, I _will_ tell you. It's just too dangerous right now. Someday I'm sure you'll know why I have to go. I'll contact you when it's safe to do so."

I turned to leave but he stopped me. "Katerina," I turned. "I'm sorry." He said.

I froze, remembering the last time he had said those words to me. "I know, and Kisame." He looked at me to show he was listening. "Konan was wrong." I smiled slightly. "I'm pregnant."

His eyes nearly bulged out of his head. "What you're…OH MY GOD!" He shouted mouth agape. I nodded.

"I have to go, farewell Kisame." I wave a hand over my shoulder in goodbye. I could only guess what would happen next in my life.

* * *

I returned to the clearing where I left Michi. She was throwing shirekin at a tree. When I approached she turned. "It's me." I said. "Your senses seem to be getting better." She nodded. 'Anti social, the one trait she got from her father.' I thought shaking my head.

"What?" She asked.

"Nothing," I said. "Come on, let's get going."

* * *

Michi and I traveled aimlessly from village to village for about a month. Then on day, while we were going through a forest, I sensed a sickeningly familiar chakra. I stopped.

"Sasuke," I hissed. He walked out from behind a tree.

"Katerina," He said just as venomously.

"What do you want?" I snapped

"Answers." He replied anger apparent in his voice.

"Why? I thought you already heard everything from that bastard Madara." I mocked.

His eyes narrowed. "I did, of Itachi's story that is. Now I want yours. Why did you help him Katerina? You could have stopped him. I blame you the most for his death!" He shouted.

"If you honestly think I'll tell you anything you're crazy." I said in a monotone.

He glared. "Then I'll make you talk." He said aiming a kick for my stomach. I gasped and put up a block but Michi came in front of me. Sasuke didn't even slow his kick. It hit her block and she slammed into a tree.

"Michi!" I screamed. Sasuke drew his sword and aimed it for my heart. "Sasuke stop!"

"Why should I?" He asked.

"BECAUSE I'M PREGNANT!" I yelled. Sasuke froze.

"You're…what?" He whispered his blade a mere inch from my heart.

"I'm pregnant, if you kill me, you'll kill Itachi's unborn child as well." I glared.

He sheathed his sword. He glared at me. "I'm not letting you live for any reason except the baby." He said. "You're dead after that."

"I'll die soon enough anyway." I mumbled to quiet for him to hear.

He looked at me. "If you have nowhere else to travel you can travel with my team." He said. "For now anyways." He glared again.

"The only reason I'll take you up on that is for the sake of me and…" I thought for a second and my eyes widened. "Michi!" I yelled running to where she had hit the tree. She was unconscious with a broken arm but alive thank god.

Sasuke, as if just comprehending what he had done earlier, ran over. "Oh my god, Katerina I'm so sorry."

"You had better be you bastard." I said healing her arm and then glaring at Sasuke. "You could have killed her."

"Katerina," I looked at him. "At least answer this, are you Michi's mother as well?"

I sighed, "I told you when you were thirteen, yes Sasuke, I am." He nodded and started walking.

"Come on, let's go." He said, motioning for me to follow. I picked Michi up and did so.

* * *

Sasuke's team mates were Suigetsu Hozuki, Karin, and Jugo. Karin looked like a nerdy whore, Suigetsu reminded me of Kisame, and Jugo I liked well enough though he was a fucking giant.

Sasuke turned to the three of them. "Katerina will be traveling with us for the time being do to certain…_things_. Do not try to pry information off of her, or I'll kill you." His voice darkened at the end.

They nodded and walked away quickly. "Thank you." I breathed.

"I'm not doing it for you." He snapped. "I'm doing it for my brother's unborn child."

I shook my head sadly. Sasuke had made some terrible choices and it was slowly driving him insane. 'Sasuke,' I thought. 'What's happened to you?'

* * *

That night after the other three had gone to sleep; Sasuke and I were sitting across from each other, the bonfire between us.

"Why do you insist on staring at me?" I asked Sasuke getting annoyed.

"Why did you leave the Akatsuki?" Sasuke asked.

I sighed. "Sasuke, Madara always hated me. He wanted me dead from day one. Itachi was the only one who could protect me." I stopped and took a breath. "Sasuke after he died I ran from Akatsuki in order to live. I understand you want to make a deal with them, but I doubt I can go back. People, who walk away from Akatsuki, don't come back and live. People, who walk away from Akatsuki, don't live at all." I finished.

His eyes widened at my last sentence. "You mean you can't go back without dying?" He asked.

I shook my head. I inhaled sharply and leaned over slightly coughing. A small trickle of blood dripped down my lip. I quickly wiped it away. Sasuke didn't know that I was dieing…yet.

* * *

Later that night my efforts in keeping the disease a secret proved futile. I woke in the middle of the night, shooting up and running a ways into the woods before having a violent coughing fit. Blood seeped through my fingers, pooling underneath them. I had a pain in my chest that was growing more intense with every fit I had. Soon the pain was going to be overpowering.

I fell forward to my knees, I was out of pills and Madara was the only one who could get them for me. Obviously that wasn't going to happen. I started to calm a bit but it hurt to breath. I fell back but instead of hitting the ground someone caught me. "What the hell Katerina, what's wrong." It was Sasuke's voice.

"S-Sasuke," I muttered before blacking out.

* * *

When I woke up it was daylight. I sat up and immediately regretted it. I fell back dizzy and with a headache. Sasuke came over when he saw me reaching for my bag. He gave it to me and I dug through it praying that I would find at least one of my pills. I found a whole other bottle and thanked the lord. I pulled two out and swallowed them. Sasuke looked at me with an expression that said 'you had better tell me what the hell happened last night' on his face.

I sighed. "Sasuke, Madara told you Itachi was suffering from disease and dieing. Sasuke I…I got that disease when Itachi's blood mixed with mine. I was severely injured and he was trying to slow the bleeding. However he didn't realize his wrist was slashed. His blood entered my system and I got the disease."

"Wait…won't that affect the baby." He asked. I shook my head.

"No, the disease can only be transferred through the blood, it's a strange disease. I got it after Michi was born so don't worry about her." I said.

"Katerina, you've been to hell and back, haven't you."

"Sasuke, I've seen things that would make you run strait back to Konoha. I have seen hell. You once told me I could have stopped Itachi. Had I done that it would have started another war. The reason Itachi massacred the clan was to stop that. War is hell, war killed my parents, and war turned Itachi into a pacifist. He hated killing, and he always stopped Kisame from causing unnecessary violence. We witnessed the war when we were five, you were eight but you didn't need to see that kind of hell. That is the true reason we killed the clan. I didn't want to die Sasuke. I was in love with your brother and it hurt me to know what he was going to do. That was until I knew the truth about the mission. Also, Itachi couldn't just let me live like he did you. It took a lot of deals to have you survive. The only way I could live was to help him kill the clan." I finished.

"So you helped him."

"Yes, and I never regretted it. Truth be told, we were already sneaking around with each other."

"I know."

I starred at him. "But…how?"

"You always used that tree house I figured out, because one day when I was coming home from the academy, I heard something and went to check it out. I saw you pinned to a tree with my brother pressed against you and your lips locked. I was eight but I knew you'd be in trouble if I told so I kept my mouth shut."

"So you knew the whole time?"

"Yes, and I doubt Michi happened when you had your first." He said and my face slightly dropped but I also turned red. "So when _did _you two first have sex." He asked smirking at my expression.

"Sasuke!" I said turning red. "That isn't something you ask someone."

"Hey it's my brother; I have a right to know." He replied nonchalantly.

"W-when we were fourteen." I said incredibly embarrassed.

His eyes shot towards me. "How the hell did you not get caught?"

"Your parents were on a mission and you were as Shisui's." I said.

"Well that explains it." He muttered.

"Can we please change the subject?"

"Gladly." He said.

Sasuke made a deal that if I went back to the Akatsuki, then he would protect me and Michi. I agreed. So now starts the journey back to the hell hole where all of my life after age fifteen took place. Oh joy! NOT!


	21. Return to Hell and Answers of the Past

After that very uncomfortable conversation Sasuke and I had, we didn't talk much. He offered to help me with Michi's sharingan at least. I wasn't happy to find that the reason he wanted to make a deal with Akatsuki was to take revenge on Konoha. When would he learn that revenge isn't the answer!

Jugo didn't seem to mind me much and Suigetsu could care less. Karin on the other hand absolutely despised me. She thought I was trying to steel her precious _Sasuke_. As if!

Out of the three of them, she was the only one stupid enough to try and get info off of me. "So how did you talk Sasuke into letting you travel with us you slut?" She asked seethingly.

"You're one to talk you whore." I replied. "And I didn't talk him into it he offered."

"Yeah right, why would he do that?" She asked.

"That's not you're business." I replied my voice dangerously even. Jugo and Suigetsu, realizing how mad I was, ran for it. "If you want to know, ask Sasuke."

"I'm a chakra sensor you bitch, I can see that your chakra's off. I just haven't figured out why yet, but I will find out." She said.

"Just stay away from me." I said.

"Why you…" I moved faster than I thought possible to block the kick aimed for my stomach. Karin, realizing that most people would have let it land, continued aiming for my stomach.

I was getting really pissed at her and do to the disease it was hard to keep blocking that fast. "Damn it," I said before yelling. "Sasuke!"

Karin had a snake wrapped around her. "Control your bitch would you." I told him.

He walked to Karin, "Try it again and I'll kill you." Sasuke's voice was too calm, he was pissed. Karin visibly gulped before nodding. "Good." He turned to me. "You okay?"

"I think so, but…" I retched. "Sasuke my pills." I gasped.

He ran to my bag an throw them to me. I swallow two before I coughed, I caught the attack before it started so it wouldn't be as bad, but I couldn't stop it. I was fighting a losing battle against the blood in my throat. Blood seeped from between my fingers. It didn't last as long as usual this time though. Thank god. This was really starting to bother me. It shouldn't affect the baby, but if I died, no I can't think about that.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Karin asked and I glared. "First You act as though you'll die if I kick your stomach, and now this."

"I wasn't the one I was worried about you killing." I said setting a hand over my stomach. "I was afraid you'd kill my baby." I said glaring and Karin stared. "You wanted to know why my chakra was off, there's you're answer."

Karin stared more before glaring. 'Uh oh,' I thought. 'I forgot those three don't know Michi's here with me. Sasuke kept her hidden. I know what she's going to ask me.'

I glared strait back. "Is that why Sasuke let you come with us? Tell me Katerina, who's the baby's father? I bet it's…"

"No, it's not!" I yelled furiously. "It's not Sasuke." My voice was way to calm. I was ready to rip her throat out.

"Then who is it?" She hissed.

"Itachi Uchiha." I said and she stepped back when I activated my sharingan.

"That's not possible; Sasuke said he killed all of the clan except him."

"He left two alive, me and Sasuke. I helped him kill the clan. Oh, and one more thing," I turned and yelled, "Michi!" She came over. "Karin this is my daughter Michi, my first born." I said. Karin looked like she could die from shock. "Now Karin, you have three seconds to run before I tare your heart out. Three…" She was out of there before I even started.

"Mom, are you okay?" Michi asked.

"I'm fine," I said. "For now anyways."

Sasuke, after telling me how stupid that was, walked away, leaving me and Michi alone. "Why couldn't I have just lived a normal life?" I asked.

"Fate works in twisted ways you once told me, that is probably the answer."

"You know, for a seven year old you're pretty smart." I said.

"I was taught by the two greatest Uchiha prodigies of their time." She said.

"Yes, but you're an even greater prodigy." I said.

"Hn," I looked at her.

"You spent too much time with your father." I said.

She smirked, (Yes smirked) and said, "It's better than hanging around a child like you."

"If he wasn't dead I'd kill him myself." I grumbled before laughing. Maybe things would be okay.

* * *

Finally the day came where we were heading back to the Akatsuki. When we got there Kisame looked at me and looked like he had seen a ghost. I just gave him a nervous wave. Madara was not happy to have me back. I could tell he had been hoping the next time he saw me alive would be the day he got to kill me. However Sasuke wasn't going to let that happen.

I pushed Michi to Kisame before going to see Madara. "It was foolish for you to return Katerina." He said. "Though it seems your bonds with those brothers were strong, that's the only thing keeping you alive anymore isn't it." He said darkly. "Also I have to start giving you these again, don't I?" He sneered, throwing me two bottles of pills.

"Yes you do. Looks like I can still outsmart you." I said.

"Watch it Katerina, remember what happened last time?" He asked drawing a kunai. I flinched and he smirked. "Looks like you do." He said and I glared before turning and leaving.

* * *

I went to the main room and saw Kisame pale as a ghost. "Already?" I asked raising an eyebrow. Kisame nodded and I turned to Michi. "Can't you leave Kisame alone for ten minutes?" I asked.

"Nope." She said and I stared before laughing.

"Well you haven't changed at all." Kisame said.

"Did you think I would fish stick?" I asked.

"No, not really." He said smirking. "By the way, you still owe me the story of your past." Kisame said.

"Michi, go find Sasuke and stay with him. If he asks tell him I'll repay him later but just keep away from here." I said and she nodded. I sighed. "No matter how much she acts like Itachi, she still has my personality." I said. I turned to Kisame. "What do you want to know?"

"Well let's start with how did you two meet." He said.

"Itachi and I both entered the ninja academy at a young age. We were both prodigies, but we came from completely different worlds." I said.

"What do you mean?"

"Itachi came from the highest class family, he was always looked up on and everyone expected great things from him." I sighed. "I however, came from the lowest class family in the entire clan. I was hate and shunned by everyone. Even Itachi called me lower class trash once. That's actually what caused this whole situation."

"Itachi came after me one day when I ran from the academy. I told him he didn't know anything about my life because he was so high up. He countered by saying that if he was one point short of perfect, everyone was ashamed of him. I had never really thought about that."

"After that Itachi and I started hanging out with each other. However one day I came home and found out something horrible. My older brother, Kanashimi, had gone to fight in the Second Great Ninja War. He turned up missing and was never found. I ran to Itachi's and was nearly killed by his father Fugaku. If it wasn't for his mother Mikoto, I would have died."

"Several months later my parents were called out. Six months later I received a letter saying that they were dead. I lived alone until Itachi got sick of seeing me drag myself around that house. After he convinced me and Mikoto convince Fugaku, I moved in with him." I smirked. "Here's an answer I know you were wanting. Itachi and I shared a room because there weren't enough in the house. It wasn't awkward when we were younger or even when we got older, we grew up with it."

"When we were twelve, we both tried for ANBU, Itachi made it, I didn't. The next year he pushed me to my limits. As time went on, I fell for him. I took the test again when I was thirteen. I ran out and hugged him around the neck. I always did this so it was nothing new…but…when I pulled back I didn't unwrap my arms. Before I knew what was happening he leaned up and kissed me. I kissed him back but then pulled away. I wasn't sure what that had meant. I confessed to him that night and we almost took things a little far. I caught it and stopped."

"Two weeks before I turned fifteen is when I found out that he was going to kill the clan. You already know what happened after that." I finished.

"What about your relationship, did you ever tell anyone?" Kisame asked.

I shook my head. "No, Fugaku would have had me killed. There was a tree house that we would mess around in and Sasuke saw us against a tree once. The only other person who knew was Itachi's mother, and that's because she walked in on us making out once. That wasn't a fun thing to explain. I'm just glad she didn't tell Fugaku." I said. "Basically we kissed when we were thirteen, messed around a few times. We had sex once when we were fourteen."

"So you weren't so innocent when you came here were you?" He asked smirking. His smirk fell however when he saw my face. "You didn't want to did you?" I shook my head.

"No, I didn't. He didn't force me but he did push until I cracked. I don't regret it and if I said I completely didn't want it I'd be lying. I was just afraid of getting pregnant." I said. "Although, I did get him back when Michi happened, he seduced me I seduced him and then everything just happened." I said. "Okay, now you know everything, happy?"

"One more thing, why do you have the kanji for death on the back of your neck?" Kisame asked me.

I shut my eyes and put my hand over the back of my neck. "That's something not even Itachi knew." I whispered. "When I was in the ANBU I joined a second squad aside of my own. This was a spy and assassination squad. Only a select few were able to join it. We were hand chosen by the Hokage. I never wanted to witness another war; however I was ruthless and brutal in battle. Itachi became a pacifist and I became the opposite. I killed for the good of the village, but I enjoyed for the longest time. I had a very high bloodlust. That's why I never had to worry about people bugging me once I made ANBU. My bloodlust only disappeared after we killed the clan." I sighed. "I was captain of a main squat as well as the assassination squad. Itachi knew I was going on extra missions but I told him they were solos. He never knew. Everyone in ANBU has the regular tattoo on their left shoulder. If you are asked to join the assassination squad, and accept, you have the kanji for death on the back of your neck."

I turned towards Kisame, my eyes glinting with the last bit of bloodlust that remained in me. "My bloodlust," I said. "Was worse than yours."

If you know Kisame, then you know he has a very high bloodlust and enjoys killing. Multiply that by three and you'll get mine.

Kisame looked at me incredulously. "There is no way." He said.

"Want to try it?" I asked my voice dangerously low.

His face flashed fear. "No, I'll take your word for it." After that Kisame left to his room and I sat down running my hand over the tattoo. 'The assassination squad,' I thought. 'Was more of an excuse for me to kill. I'm not proud of my past, but I really did enjoy the adrenaline rush I got from killing.' I went to find Michi and Sasuke. 'What am I saying, I was no better than the killer Sasuke thought I was after that night. I have so much blood on my hands, it surprising it isn't visible.'

Once I was a killer, now I'm a protector. My fate has been twisted and I am forced to live it. The world is dark, there is no light in my life. I continue to relive the past...and I hate it.


	22. A Mission, A Baby, and a Choice

We stayed at the Akatsuki hideout until Madara said it was time to go after the remaining jinchuriki. Sasuke and his team were going after the eight tails. I was going with Pein and Konan to Konoha. The only reason was because I wanted to go with them is because if anything happened I'd be near Konan. Plus I would know the moves of most of the ninja there so I had less of a chance of getting injured...however I wasn't going to actually hunt the nine-tails. I told him I had no intent of capturing him, and I still don't.

* * *

Honestly, I had yet to tell Konan about the baby. I planned on doing it before we left though. I headed down to her room. I figured Madara already knew, and if he didn't he would soon.

I got to Konan's room and knocked. She opened the door.

"Katerina?" She whispered. Konan and Pein were the only ones who didn't know I was back.

I nodded. "Konan, I have to tell you something." I said.

She opened the door farther and I entered. "When did you come back?" She asked me.

"Just recently, I had a run in with Itachi brother whom I then started traveling with and who then brought me here." I replied.

"Isn't Madara a little mad about you being back?"

"You have no idea." I said unconsciously rubbing my stomach. Konan noticed.

"Katerina, what was it you wanted to tell me?" She asked.

I looked up. "Oh, um, Konan, you were wrong about me not being able to get pregnant again. Konan, I'm pregnant."

She had about the same reaction as Kisame and Sasuke. She froze wide eyed. "That shouldn't have been possible, that damage was severe. I pulled her hand to my stomach and she checked with medical chakra. "I told you, I have the sharingan and so did Itachi. He knew before I told him. I can tell when chakra is off, even my own." Just then the baby kicked and I laughed. "Well it seems this one will like you too." I said and Konan smiled.

"Does Madara know?" She asked suddenly, face dropping.

"Probably, and if he doesn't he will soon." I said.

She nodded. "Who are you going with on this mission?"

"You and Pein, I figure it's better to be near a medical ninja who's not trying to kill me." I said and she nodded again.

"Yes that would be a good idea." She suddenly looked as if she had remembered something. "Where's Michi?"

"Training her sharingan with Sasuke, Itachi had to teach me and he taught her. I'm not a very good teacher when it comes to that specific area." I said. "I can take you to see her if you want, I can tell you want to."

"Yeah, I was about to come out anyway." She said.

* * *

We went out to the training grounds and found Sasuke showing her how to copy jutsu with the sharingan. She copied all of them perfectly. Sasuke noticed our presence. "She is definitely your daughter." He said. "She gets everything on her first try." I just smirked.

"Hey Michi, Konan wants to see you." I said and she bolted strait to me. She always loved Konan like an aunt.

Sasuke looked at me incredulously. "What? Konan _delivered _Michi, I think I trust her enough." I said. He just shook his head and walked back inside. 'Typical Sasuke,' I thought. 'Doesn't trust anyone but himself.'

* * *

We were leaving for the mission in a week. Konan, Madara, and I were the only ones who knew that Pein was really Nagato. Michi would be staying where he was hidden. I trusted him enough since he was Konan's childhood friend.

The six paths of Pein, Konan, and I went through the village looking for information. Finally realizing the nine-tails was not there Konan and I went to Nagato while the Peins terrorized the village. I tried not to show the pain I was feeling. Finally Naruto came back and after defeating the mane Pein he found our hiding place. He showed up to find Nagato, Konan, Michi, and I. He seemed to be surprised to see me there, and I gave him an apologetic look. I truly was sorry for what had happened.

He and Nagato talked/argued for a while before Naruto brought out a book that the sannin Jiraiya had written. He said that Jiraiya's inspiration for that book had been a former student. It had been Nagato. Finally Naruto said that his name was the Character's and that he and Nagato were sibling pupils. Naruto asked that Nagato let him take on the quest for world peace. Finally Nagato agreed. Naruto changed him, and he used a technique that only someone with the rinnegan could use. He returned life to all of the villagers he had killed. However it took his life in the process.

* * *

Afterwards Naruto and Konan spoke. "So where will you go now, I'd hate to think you were returning to the Akatsuki." Naruto said.

"Nagato and Yahiko were everything to me; I have no reason to return." Konan said.

Naruto turned to me. "What about you?" He asked.

"I have no choice but to return." I said. "I'm sorry, but I walked away once. I will be killed if I do it again."

"Does that mean you'll help capture me?" He asked.

"No, I stand by what I said; I have no intentions of harming you." I said. Konan left, I knew she was going back to rain. Naruto turned to leave as well but I stopped him. "Naruto," He turned to me. "There is still a chance for you to save Sasuke; he still has some of his sanity left." I said before disappearing in the form of a black cat. Itachi had crows and I had a black cat. What a pair we were.

* * *

I returned to the Akatsuki and they called a meeting. "Konan isn't returning." Zetsu said.

"I had suspected that would happen." Madara said. "Continue the hunt for the jinchuriki; I have something I have to do."

* * *

Several months later I left to rain. The baby was due any time and Konan was the only one I trusted. I had the baby two days later.

"DAMNIT ITACHI!" I screamed. "IF YOU WEREN'T DEAD I'D KILL YOU MYSELF!"

Finally I found out that I had a boy. I named him after his father. Michi looked like Itachi, and Itachi the second looked like me. Hopefully he got his father's personality. God knows we don't need three of me. Two is enough. (I'm talking about Michi.)

* * *

I returned to the Akatsuki three days later. Sasuke saw me with the baby and walked over. His eyes widened. "He looks like you." He said.

"Yeah and Michi looks like Itachi, that's kind of ironic." I said. "You're not really going to kill me, are you?" I whispered.

"Not yet," He said. "But watch your back."

I nodded, "You know Sasuke, you once called me big sister."

"That was a long time ago Katerina." He said. "Before you destroyed my life."

"I had no choice Sasuke." I said.

"There is always a choice Katerina." He said walking away. I stared at his retreating form. He was right, I did have a choice. And I chose to kill his family in order to live myself. I destroyed an eight year olds life for my own gain. I could have stopped Itachi. But in the process, I stopped a war. Did I make the right choice, or not? Then again, Sasuke didn't make the best choices either. Only time would tell what would happen. Good or Bad.


	23. Sick Bastard, A Mistake, and Death

I was trying my best to try and avoid Sasuke. Ever since he made me realize I may have made the wrong choice when I was younger, I hadn't been able to look him in the eye. Also, Madara was really beginning to piss me off.

Madara kept sending me on missions that would be suicide if I wasn't an experienced S class criminal. I hate that I'm that rank; however, it has saved my life many times in the past year and a half. Yes, Sasuke and I have been avoiding each other that long.

On the other hand, Michi has become very protective of her brother. She also helps to keep an eye on him while I'm away. Kisame and Sasuke can't do everything you know.

Okay back to Madara. He called me to his room one day and he…he…AH, screw it I'll just go over what happened.

Apparently he still hated Itachi even though he was already dead. So, since he couldn't hurt him directly, he decided to get him through me.

"You should be dead from those missions I've sending you on." Madara said.

"Do you think that I would let myself die so soon when I still have my children vulnerable to you?" I asked.

"They aren't the only ones vulnerable to me." He said body flickering behind me. I spun around to keep him in site.

"What do you mean?" I asked narrowing my eyes. He put his hand on my back and I gasped pushing him away. "Don't touch me you bastard." I seethed.

"What are you going to do? No one will come to this room, you know that." He said.

Without warning I threw a kunai and it actually cut him. His eyes flashed anger. Now I was scared. I screamed.

My side felt like it had been lit on fire. I expected more pain but it never came. I heard a clang of metal and looked up. Sasuke was there blocking Madara's Kunai. "Sasuke?" I asked incredulously. Madara glared at me.

"I hope your death is painful, Katerina." He said.

"And I hope you go to hell Madara; oh wait, I don't have to hope on that one." I replied.

"If it's the last thing I do, I will kill you. That disease I pulling your life energy away, but I'll be the one to sever it."

"You can try, but I doubt it will ever happen." I said before forcing myself to stand and walking out of the room with Sasuke.

* * *

I managed to get back to my room before collapsing. My breathing was ragged and my chest hurt. "Katerina, are you okay?" Sasuke asked.

"Do I _look_ okay?" I asked gritting my teeth and trying to heal the huge gash in my side. Finally Sasuke knelt down next to me and healed it. "You know medical jutsu?"

"With the people I work with, it's kind of a need to know thing." He said.

I went into the bathroom to change my clothes and wash of the blood. I walked back out and turned to Sasuke. "Thank you," I said. "For everything." By the look on his face, my words must have triggered something; however, it was gone as quickly as it had come.

"No problem." He said. I looked up at him. Before I knew what I was doing, I leaned up and kissed him. I pulled back quickly. He was staring at me.

"Sasuke…I…" I was cut off when he pressed his lips back on mine. I kissed him back. I didn't snap back to reality until we landed on the bed. I pulled back. "Sasuke I…I can't." I said. He got off of me.

"Katerina," He said, just now realizing what was happening. "I should have stopped it. I'm sorry."

"Don't be, it was my fault." I replied.

He left the room and I sat on the bed with my head in my hands. 'Did I really just do that?' I asked myself. 'Oh god. Itachi…please forgive me.' I fell asleep with tears sliding down my face.

* * *

I woke up and got ready. I walked over to Itachi the second's crib. It was hard to believe he was already two. He was a prodigy, but his sister beat him by a skill level or two. He most likely wouldn't start training until he was three…that is, if I lived that long. I didn't know what would happen to Michi and Itachi II after I died. I could only hope Sasuke would take care of them.

I picked him up and he stared at me. I smiled and he reached up and grabbed the front of my shirt. I laughed slightly. Someone tapped my side. I looked over and saw Michi. She looked like she had just woken up. "Can I hold him?" She asked. I nodded and handed him to her.

She looked at him with a caring and protective expression. I smiled at them. "You'll take care of him right?" I asked. She looked at me confused. "When I'm gone." I said sadly.

She looked at me. "Yes, I promise to." She said.

"Thank you. I love you, don't ever forget that. If I had a choice, I would never leave you two." I said. "Also," She looked at me again. "I want you to convince your uncle Sasuke to return to Konoha and defeat Madara. Don't look at me like that, if they accept Sasuke, they'll accept you. Sasuke won't let them harm you. Have Sasuke tell them the truth of the massacre. Itachi would want you to be safe, and that may be the only way. Can you do that for me?"

"I'll try, but you know uncle Sasuke; he doesn't like to listen to people." She said.

"If you really are your father's daughter; you'll find a way." She nodded. I was glad I got this through to her now. I knew it was a lot to put on a ten year old, but I had a feeling that this may be the last time I got to talk to her like this…my time was up.

* * *

I spent the day with Michi and her brother. Michi knew something was wrong, but she wouldn't speak it aloud. That night, I went out to the woods. Madara was waiting. "I almost expected you not to show up Katerina."

"I may be a fool, but I'm not a coward." I said.

"I suppose that you have proved that over the years; haven't you?"

I glared. "Let's just get this over with. We both know what the outcome will be." I said looking away.

"Good to see you at least have some sense." He said smirking. He lunged at me with a kunai. I blocked it. He flickered into the trees. I jumped back and kicked of one lunging at him. He evaded. He slashed my wrist. My kunai dropped and blood dripped off of my limp hand.

"Bastard." I sneered. I concentrated chakra into my fist and punched a tree down where he was standing. No one but Madara would be able to dodge that.

Sharp metal was lodged in my chest. Blood drizzled from the corner of my mouth. "It's over Katerina." He ripped the kunai out of my chest with more force than necessary. He looked to the left suddenly. "You were followed." He said and my eyes widened. "Don't worry, it was Sasuke." With those words he disappeared leaving me to die.

I held onto life long enough for Sasuke to find me. "Katerina!" He ran over to me.

"If you ask if I'm okay I'll kill you." I joked. He tried to heal me but I grabbed his wrist. "It's too late; you couldn't heal me if you tried. Madara hit a spot that the disease prevents chakra from reaching. I'm going to die."

"What about…" He started.

I cut him of. "Don't tell them that Madara killed me; tell them it was the disease. Please Sasuke."

He stared at me for a second before saying "Okay."

"Thank you. Also, Michi…" I retched and coughed up blood, I gasped. "Michi is going to tell you something. I'm begging…you…listen to her, and tell them both that I'm sorry and love them." I gasped and fell limp.

"Katerina!" Sasuke yelled lifting me up.

"Take care of them Sasuke. Goodbye, and…again…thank you." With those words, I succumbed to darkness.


	24. The Afterlife

When I came to, the voice I heard wasn't who I had expected. "Long time no see little sis." My eyes snapped open.

I looked over. "Kanashimi!" I yelled jumping into his arms.

"Hey Kat, man you grew." He said.

"Heh-heh yeah." I said rubbing the back of my neck. "What happened to you after you left?" I asked.

"Mist ninja," He said. "They captured and tortured me for information. When I didn't give any, they killed me. The whole time I was there; you were all I could think about. I'm sorry Kat."

"It's okay, after you went missing, a lot happened you know." I said.

"Yeah, what did happen?" He said.

"Well…um…"

"Kat," I looked at him. "What happened to you?" I looked at him confused. "You didn't die the night the clan was massacred." He said.

I looked away. "It's a long story." I said.

"Well, I have a long time." He said.

I sighed. "You know Itachi Uchiha?"

"Yeah,"

"Shortly after you left, he and I sparred…and I lost." I took a breath. "He called me something…something that made me swear I would beat him. That vow, caused me to graduate the academy at age seven." Kanashimi looked at me surprised. "However, while I was still in it, I was shunned by everyone, to the point that I used to run from class. My sensei asked someone to come get me once…it was Itachi."

"He opened my eyes to the struggles of being from the highest class family. We became close friends after that."

"Mom and dad left soon after that. Six months later, I got a letter saying they were dead. I moved in with Itachi a few weeks later with some help from Mikoto."

"Wait…you were living with the highest class family?" Kanashimi asked wide eyed.

I nodded. "When we were twelve, Itachi and I both tried to get into ANBU. Itachi made it, but I didn't. He trained with me for the next year. I…I fell for him. I retook the test the next year and made it. I had a habit of wrapping my arms around Itachi's neck when I was happy. This time I lingered though and…he kissed me."

"That night I confessed and…well we almost went too far. We didn't!" I said quickly at Kanashimi's expression. I said nothing about when we were fourteen after that. "When we were fifteen…" I stopped. "Kanashimi, what do you know about the massacre?"

"Just that the entire clan was killed except for three people and that it was an Uchiha who killed them."

I sighed. "Kanashimi, there were two Uchihas who killed them. It was Itachi and I." I said not meeting his eyes.

"What! Katerina why would you…"

"It was an _order_!" I said. "I said we made ANBU right. Danzo told Itachi to kill the clan. I overheard and obviously I was wondering if he was going to kill me too. He didn't want to, but he was already leaving Sasuke alive. He said the only way I could live would be to help kill the clan. He gave me a choice, and I chose to help him."

"You changed." Kanashimi said.

"If we hadn't killed them, a war would have started." I said.

"_How?_" He asked.

"The Uchiha were planning to overthrow Konoha. We did it for the sake of the village. After that we joined the Akatsuki in order to protect Konoha from inside enemy lines. Madara Uchiha is still alive as well. He's leader of the Akatsuki, he's the one who killed me." I said.

"Wait, you were killed? I thought you wanted to be a medical ninja."

"Kanashimi, I had a fatal disease. I was already dieing. I was getting medication from Madara but he hated me. Eventually he and I had a face off. He stabbed me in a spot he knew the disease prevented me from healing. I got the disease when Itachi was trying to save me. He got it and accidentally gave it to me. My stomach got slashed and so did his wrist. His blood was transferred to me."

"So technically he did kill you."

I glared. "Don't you ever say that." I hissed. "He would never hurt me on purpose."

"Are you sure about that?"

"As sure as I am dead."

"Your life was hell after I left."

"You have no idea."

He sighed. "Come on. Let's go find mom and dad. They would want to know."

I walked behind him when he stopped. "Were they _his_ kids."

My eyes widened. "What do you mean?" I asked.

"Don't play stupid Katerina. I can see the lines on your stomach where the skin stretched and then thinned again." He said.

"Yes," I whispered looking down. "They're Itachi's." I said.

I went to walk away and he grabbed my hand. He made a sound of surprise. I turned and saw him looking at the ring on my left hand. "Katerina…"

"Itachi gave it to me shortly before he died." I said.

"This is the ring that the higher class families gave to the next generation for when they were ready for a family. He did love you."

"I told you. He would never hurt me on purpose."

He nodded and we went to find my parents. After I retold the story for a second time, I went to find someone else.

* * *

However, before I could find him, I was stopped by another familiar voice. "Katerina?" I froze. Slowly I turned around.

"Michi." I whispered.

"It is you. What happened to you?"

"A lot of hell, I can tell you that." I said. "Hey Michi, what would you do if I told you that you were a godmother."

Her eyes widened. "What?"

"Itachi and I wound up with two children. You deserve that title." I said.

"I…thank you Katerina."

I smiled. "No problem." I said. "Hey Michi, do you…know where Itachi is?"

"No I don't, but I do know that he's with his parents." She said.

"Okay, thank you Michi." I said and she nodded. I left to find Itachi.

* * *

I eventually found him. I just stood leaning against a wall until Mikoto noticed me. Her sound of surprise caused the others to look over. Itachi caught my eyes. "Long time no see Uchiha." I said.

"Katerina?" He whispered. I nodded.

He came and hugged me. "I missed you." I said.

"I missed you too." Itachi said. He looked over his shoulder. "I don't think my father's too happy."

"There isn't much he can do anymore. I'm already dead." I said.

I looked over and Fugaku looked like he wished he could still kill me. I gave Mikoto a pleading look. She dragged Fugaku away. "How'd you do that." Itachi asked me.

"I've told you before. Girls have a special connection."

"Are Michi and…"

"…Itachi II okay? Yeah." I said. "Don't give me that look. I had to name him after you."

"What happened to you?" He asked.

"Madara." I seethed. "He got his wish; he killed me." I said.

I turned and I felt Itachi trace the scar on my side with his index finger. "What did he do to you?" Itachi asked narrowing his eyes.

I told what happened before Sasuke saved me. He clenched his fists. "If I could; I'd kill him."

"I can't believe I had to leave Michi and little Itachi with Sasuke and that bastard." I said. "Ugh, I feel so stupid. None of that should be happening."

"Are you saying you regret sleeping with me?"

"What? No-no, although…" I looked at Itachi. "I do regret almost sleeping with Sasuke." A look of surprise then slight anger crossed his face. "Do you hate me?"

Itachi hugged me. "Why would you even ask that? I could never blame you for anything you did after my death."

My eyes widened and I hugged him back. "I love you." I said.

"I love you too." He put his fingers under my chin so that I would look at him. His lips connected with mine for the first time in two years. He pulled away. "Hey guess what."

"What?" I asked.

"Kanashimi and Michi seem to have taken a liking to each other. They've been together for a while now."

My eyes widened. "Why didn't they tell me that?"

Itachi shrugged. "I don't know." He said.

"I guess everything did turned out okay." I said.

* * *

A year later, Kisame showed up and a couple months later Konan did. Kisame killed himself to evade capture and Konan was killed by Madara.

Six years after that, Sasuke came; he did listen and went back to Konoha. He wound up with Sakura Haruno and had a family. He was killed on a mission.

Nine years later, Michi showed up. With Sasuke's help, she and her brother had been able to live in Konoha. Michi was also killed on a mission. She had a family.

When she showed up, she asked what I would do if she said she had been captain of two ANBU teams. I knew what she meant before she showed me the tattoo. "Michi, you had a life as hard as mine if not worse. I could never blame you for that." I said moving my hair to show her my tattoo. "I was captain as well. It helps when you're a prodigy though." I said smirking. "You are definitely my daughter." She smiled.

After two more years Itachi II finally showed up. He was glad that he finally got to meet his father. He suffered the same fate as his sister and Sasuke. He also had a family. The Uchiha clan was restarted. Everything was how it should have been our entire lives.

Oh, and remember how I once said there were rumors that the lower families were once the highest? Turns out they were. I met some of my ancestors and it turns out they were the higher ups of their time. Itachi was surprised, and I was thrilled; mostly because I could hold this over Fugaku's head for all eternity. Oh yes, everything finally turned out alright. Plus, I would never be separated from my family again. My hell of a life was finally over. Oh, and did I mention, that bastard Madara is now burning in hell, courtesy of Sasuke. He really did listen.

**Author's Note:**

> If you made it this far you're a saint. Even moreso if you kudosed or commented. This was honestly cringe for me to upload because I think it's so bad now, but people liked it at the time, and I once thought it was good, so here it is. XD


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